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Section       i  |  I  [  I C^  I 


JESUS  AND  THE  YOUNG 
MAN  OF  TO-DAY 


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THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK  •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO  •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY  •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


Jesus  and  the  Young 
Man  of  To-day 


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FEB    1    1034 


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•     JOHN  M.  HOLMES 


J3eto  gork 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

1920 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1919 
By  the  macmillan  company 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published,  August,  1919 


PREFACE 

For  years,  men  have  been  drifting  indifferently  from  the 
church  because  so  many  religious  leaders  insist  upon  read- 
ing into  the  Bible  all  the  theological  accretions  and  beliefs  of 
the  Christian  church,  until  the  actual  life  and  teachings  of 
Jesus  are  obscured. 

Without  becoming  openly  antagonistic,  and  in  most  cases, 
without  even  removing  their  names  from  the  church  regis- 
ter, these  so-called  "  doubters "  lose  their  interest  in  the 
church  and  in  things  religious. 

The  great  world  war  which  has  recently  closed  put  our 
doctrines,  beliefs,  and  professions  to  a  severe  test  with  the 
result  that  many  beliefs  and  customs  which  were  previously 
considered  very  important  were  discarded  and  the  manly 
qualities  which  Jesus  emphasized  in  His  teachings  and  ex- 
emplified in  His  life  blazed  forth  with  such  splendor  that 
they  became  the  ideals  of  hundreds  of  men  who  had  never 
openly  professed  to  be  followers  of  Him. 

The  studies  are  an  outgrowth  of  experience  in  dealing  with 
students  and  business  men.  Christian  and  non-Christian, 
who  were  in  the  throes  of  intellectual  reconstruction.  They 
were  written  primarily  for  the  college  student  who,  no  longer 
able  to  accept  his  boyhood  beliefs,  seeks  a  restatement  of  faith 
which  will  meet  the  needs  of  his  reason  as  well  as  of  his 
heart.  The  writer  does  not  attempt  to  set  forth  a  complete 
life  of  Jesus  and  does  not  pretend  to  discuss  the  fundamentals 
of  the  Christian  church.  He  lays  no  claim  to  originality. 
Quotations  from  authoritative  writers  are  frequently  inserted. 
The  plan  and  much  of  the  material  of  the  studies  are  taken 
from  "  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ,"  by  E.  I.  Bosworth. 

The  writer  would  like  to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank 
the  many  kind  friends  who  have  read  the  manuscript  and 
offered  helpful  suggestions.  Dr.  E.  I.  Bosworth,  of  Oberlin ; 
Dr.   M.  H.   Lichliter,  of  Cleveland;   Dr.  John  C.   French,  of 

V 


vl  Preface 

the  Johns  Hopkins  University;  Sergeant  Oliver  M.  Ains- 
worth,  of  the  Medical  Department.  U.  S.  A.;  Rev.  F.  A. 
Juhan,  Mr.  Allen  J.  Graham,  Mr.  B.  E.  Geer,  and  especially 
Mr.  J,  W.  Norwood,  of  Greenville,  S.  C.,  by  their  kind  as- 
sistance made  it  possible  for  the  course  to  be  published, 
although  they  are  in  no  way  responsible  for  the  views  ex- 
pressed therein. 

The  writer  also  wishes  to  thank  the  publishers,  especially 
the  Association  Press,  and  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  who  have 
granted  permission  to  use  the  many  quotations  which  appear 
throughout  the  book. 

J.  M.  H. 

Greenville,  S.  C.,  February  14th,  1919. 


INTRODUCTION 

Four  men,  after  a  long,  arduous  climb,  came  to  the  top 
of  a  high  mountain,  overlooking  a  broad  valley.  The  first 
man  was  a  geologist.  In  his  description  of  the  valley,  he 
told  of  the  kind  of  rock  and  soil,  the  various  strata,  and  the 
geologic  movements  which  produced  the  present  shape  of  the 
valley. 

The  second  man  was  a  surveyor.  He  approximated  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  valley,  the  miles  of  winding  road, 
the  probable  width  of  the  river,  and  the  time  it  would  take  to 
cross  from  mountain  to  mountain. 

The  third  man  was  a  farmer.  He  told  of  the  amount  of 
timberland,  the  approximate  number  of  acres  in  corn,  pas- 
ture, and  meadow,  and  of  the  suitability  of  the  valley  for 
farming. 

The  fourth  man  was  a  poet.  As  he  stood  on  the  moun- 
tain top,  he  saw  the  grandeur  of  the  scene  stretching  before 
him :  the  patches  of  green,  and  the  squares  of  cultivated  soil ; 
the  winding  river  reflecting  in  places  the  glancing  rays  of  the 
declining  sun ;  the  long  shadows  cast  by  the  higher  mountains  ; 
then,  far  away  in  the  distance,  the  interwoven  hills  covered 
by  a  hazy  veil  of  blue  forming  a  great  wall  against  the  sky. 
His  description  of  the  valley  was  a  poem  in  which  he  tried 
to  convey  the  impression  which  the  grandeur  of  the  scene 
made  upon  his  mind. 

Each  of  these  descriptions  was,  in  its  own  way,  true.  Each 
was  based  upon  the  same  actual  fact.  The  first  three  dealt 
with  material  or  external  facts ;  the  fourth  treated  of  a  fact 
of  inward  experience. 

Such  is  the  case  with  the  four  gospels.  Matthew,  Mark, 
and  Luke  give  an  account  of  the  teachings  and  life  of  the 
historical  Jesus.  John  endeavors  to  give  the  impressions 
made  upon  his  life  by  the  Risen  Christ.  It  is  not  the  actual 
sayings  of  Jesus  or  the  facts  of  His  life  which  primarily 
interest  the  fourth  evangelist,  but  the  infinite  significance  of 

vii 


viii  Introduction 

the  revelation  in  Christ.  "We  have  [in  this  Gospel]  a  his- 
tory which  is  meant  to  illustrate  and  support  a  given  religious 
belief."  1 

Then  again,  the  Fourth  Gospel  turns,  "  not  as  in  other  rec- 
ords, on  matters  of  Jewish  custom  and  morality,  but  on  doc- 
trinal questions  which  first  came  under  discussion  at  a  later 
time.  [In  this  Gospel],  Jesus  meets  objections  which  the 
Jews  bring  forward  against  his  unity  with  God,  his  pre- 
existence,  the  character  of  his  Messianic  work,  the  partaking 
of  his  flesh  and  blood,  the  apparent  failure  of  his  mission. 
[We  have  in  the  Gospel  of  John,  then],  not  the  conflict  be- 
tween Jesus  and  his  enemies,  but  the  conflict  between  Chris- 
tianity and  Judaism.  .  .  .  The  real  universalism  of  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount  and  the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan 
gives  place  to  a  narrower  message,  in  accordance  with  the 
idea  of  the  church.  There  can  be  little  question  that  the 
evangelist  wrote  consciously  in  the  interest  of  this  idea. 
Living  at  a  time  when  the  unity  of  the  church  was  in  danger, 
and  when  various  abuses  were  creeping  into  its  life  and  sac- 
raments, he  sought  to  remind  it  of  its  true  character.  He 
reads  back  into  the  gospel  history  the  conditions  of  his  own 
day,  in  order  to  submit  them  to  the  Master's  judgment.  .  .  . 
Under  the  form  of  a  biography  of  Jesus  it  deals  with  prob- 
lems and  difficulties  which  did  not  arise  until  after  his 
death."  i 

Many  of  the  most  serious  intellectual  difficulties  of  our  time 
arise  from  a  misunderstanding  of  the  essential  character  of 
the  Fourth  Gospel.  It  is  placed  —  incorrectly,  as  the  writer 
believes  —  in  the  same  category  with  the  Synoptic  Gospels  and 
interpreted  as  literal  history.  Attack  almost  any  extremely 
orthodox  belief  and  you  will  find  the  dogmatist,  in  support 
of  his  position,  almost  invariably  quotes  from  the  Gospel  of 
John,  trying  to  interpret  the  discourses  found  there  as  the 
actual  words  of  Jesus.  Its  value,  however,  is  not  in  its 
historical  significance.  "  It  holds  a  place  of  its  own, —  sacred 
and  apart  even  among  the  books  of  the  New  Testament, —  as 
the   devotional   Gospel,   which   has   molded   and   nurtured   the 

1  The  Historical  and  Religious  Value  of  the  Fourth  Gospel.  E.  F. 
Scott.  Copyrighted  1909.  Used  by  permission  of  the  Pilgrim  Press. 
Boston  and  Chicago, 


Introduction  ix 

Christian  piety  of  all  ages.  The  tradition  which  assigns  it 
to  a  Beloved  Disciple  is  true  in  essence,  if  not  in  literal  fact. 
We  can  recognize  in  the  unknown  evangelist  one  who  had 
entered  into  the  inner  secret  of  the  life  of  Christ.  He  has 
taught  us,  out  of  his  own  deep  experience,  how  the  Master 
who  departed  long  ago  is  still  a  living  presence  with  those 
who  love  him ;  and  Christian  men  have  ever  found  in  his 
Gospel  the  largest  and  tenderest  expression  of  their  personal 
faith.  The  language  they  have  learned  from  it  comes  nat- 
urally to  their  hearts,  when  they  hold  their  own  communion 
with  Christ."  Finally,  "  we  cannot  understand  what  Jesus 
was,  while  he  yet  sojourned  among  men,  until  we  learn  to  see 
him,  with  the  fourth  evangelist,  in  the  eternal  significance  of 
his  life."i 

We  have  thus  four  gospels,  each  with  its  own  marked  in- 
dividuality. "  The  brief,  simple,  vivid  narrative  of  Mark 
may  be  described  as  the  popular,  evangelistic  gospel.  It  pre- 
sents those  dramatic  personal  facts  in  which  the  common 
people  were  intensely  interested.  It  relegated  to  the  back- 
ground detailed  teachings  and  doctrinal  questions  which  con- 
cerned only  the  learned.  Matthew  is  preeminently  the  teach- 
ing gospel.  The  prominence  given  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
and  the  topical  arrangement  of  its  material  made  it  the  man- 
ual that  was  most  widely  used  in  the  early  church  for  instruc- 
tion regarding  the  work  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  Luke  is  the 
humanitarian,  social  gospel.  It  makes  sharp  distinction  be- 
tween the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  ruling  classes  and  the  masses. 
It  defines  the  fundamental  obligations  of  the  individual,  not 
only  to  God,  but  to  his  fellow-men,  in  terms  of  love  and 
sympathy  and  service.  It  is  the  gospel  which  presents  most 
clearly  Jesus'  teachings  regarding  the  way  along  which  society 
must  proceed  in  order  to  solve  its  social  problems.  The 
Fourth  Gospel  is  the  doctrinal  gospel,  for  its  avowed  and 
dominant  aim  throughout  is  to  establish  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  the  early  church  and  to  interpret  in  universal,  philo- 
sophical terms  the  significance  of  Jesus'  character  and  work."  2 

1  The  Historical  and  Religious  Value  of  the  Fourth  Gospel.  E.  F. 
Scott.  Copyrighted  1909.  Used  by  permission  of  the  Pilgrim  Press. 
Boston  and  Chicago. 

2  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by   permission   of  the   Charles  Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 


X  Introduction 

This  book  is  to  deal  with  the  life  and  teachings  of  the 
historical  Jesus.  We  wish  to  learn  what  He  actually  said 
and  did,  and  to  ascertain  what  foundation  we  have  for  our 
Christian  faith. 

There  were  two  early  manuscripts  which  were  the  principal 
sources  of  the  life  of  Jesus.  The  one  is  the  Gospel  of  Mark, 
and  the  other,  whose  exact  contents  are  not  known,  is  com- 
monly known  as  Q  (quelle,  source).  Mark  is  a  narrative 
dealing  with  the  events  and  incidents  of  the  life  of  Jesus, 
while  Q  contained,  for  the  most  part,  His  teachings  and  say- 
ings. 

Accordingly,  when  Matthew  and  Luke  wrote  their  gospels, 
they  used  Mark  as  the  chief  source  of  their  historical  narra- 
tives, Q  as  the  chief  source  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  and 
adding  information  gathered  by  themselves,  adapted  the  whole 
to  their  purposes.^ 

The  logical  way,  then,  to  study  the  acts  and  teachings  of 
Jesus,  is  not  to  try  to  harmonize  the  three  gospels  but  to 
use  Mark  as  a  basis,  and  study  in  Matthew  and  Luke  the 
material  which  Mark  does  not  contain.  This  plan  is  followed 
in  this  book. 

1  The  Gospel  History  and  Its  Transmission.  F.  C.  Burkitt.  T.  and 
T.    Clark,     Edinburgh.     The    Charles    Scribner's    Sons.     New    York. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface     v 

Introduction vii 

Study  I 

First  Day.     Outline  of  the  Gospel  of  Mark     .     .     .  i 

Second  Day.     The  General   Situation  in  Palestine     .  3 

Third     Day.     The     General     Situation     in     Palestine 

(concluded) 5 

Fourth  Day.     John   the   Baptist 7 

Fifth  Day.     The  Message  of  John 8 

Sixth  Day.    The  Early  Life  of  Jesus 9 

Seventh  Day.     Review 10 

Study  II 

First  Day.     The  Baptism  of  Jesus 12 

Second  Day.     The  Temptation  of  Jesus       ....  13 

Third  Day.     The    Temptation    of   Jesus    (concluded)  16 
Fourth  Day.    The    Beginning    of    the    Ministry    of 

Jesus 18 

Fifth  Day.     The  First  Disciples 19 

Sixth  Day.     The  Authority  of  Jesus  as  a  Teacher     .  20 

Seventh  Day.     Review 22 

Study  III 

First  Day.    Jesus   Prays 25 

Second  Day.    Jesus  Offends  the   Scribes     ....  26 

Third  Day.     Jesus  Eats  with   Publicans  and   Sinners  27 

Fourth  Day.     Jesus  and  His  Disciples  Do  Not  Fast  29 

Fifth  Day.     Jesus  Is   Lax   in   Observing  the   Sabbath  30 
Sixth  Day.     The     Determination     of     the     Religious 

Leaders  to  Destroy  Jesus 31 

Seventh  Day.     Review 2^ 

xi 


xii  Contents 

Study  IV  page 

First  Day.     Choosing  the  Twelve  Disciples       ...     35 

Second  Day.  The  Beatitudes.  Open-Mindedness. 
Repentance 36 

Third  Day.  The  Beatitudes.  Self-Control.  Aspira- 
tion the  Test  of  Character 38 

Fourth  Day,  The  Beatitudes.  Sympathy.  Purity. 
Promoting  J-ove  Among  Men.  Sacrificing  for 
Men         40 

Fifth  Day.     The  Beatitudes  Summarized     ....     42 

Sixth  Day.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Influence 
of  the  Members  of  the  Kingdom  in  Everyday 
Life         44 

Seventh  Day.     Review     .  " 45 

Study  V 

First  Day.     The    Sermon    on    the    Mount.     A    Man 

Lives  Within 47 

Second  Day.     The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.     Members 

of  the  Kingdom  Are  Trustworthy 49 

Third  Day.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  The  Law 
Is  Summarized  in  Love 51 

Fourth  Day.     The     Sermon     on     the     Mount.     The 

Lord's   Prayer -53 

Fifth  Day.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Jesus  Illus- 
trates the  Tender  Care  of  the  Father  Over  His 
Children 55 

Sixth  Day.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (concluded). 
The  Test  of  a  Tree  Is  the  Fruit 57 

Seventh  Day.     Review 59 

Study  VI 

First  Day.     The  Friends  and  Family  of  Jesus  Think 

He  Is  Mentally  Unbalanced.     The  Eternal  Sin  .     63 

Second  Day.     The   Eternal    Sin    (concluded)    ...     65 

Third  Day.     Jesus  Begins  to  Teach  in  Parables   .      .     67 

Fourth  Day.  The  Parables  of  the  Sower,  the  Grow- 
ing Crop,  the  Mustard  Seed 68 

Fifth  Day.  The  Parables  of  the  Kingdom  in  the 
Thirteenth  Chapter  of  Matthew 6g 


Contents  xill 

PAGE 

Sixth  Day.     The    Miracle    of    Stilling    the    Tempest, 

the  Gerasene  Demoniac 71 

Seventh  Day.     Review 72 

Study  VII 

First  Day.    Jesus  Visits  Nazareth 75 

Second  Day.     Jesus   Sends  Out  the  Twelve     ...  76 

Third  Day.     The  Instructions  of  Jesus  to  the  Twelve  yy 

Fourth  Day.     The     Instructions     of     Jesus     to     the 

Twelve    (concluded) 78 

Fifth  Day.     The  Execution  of  John  the  Baptist  .      .  80 

Sixth  Day.     The  Feeding  of  the  Five  Thousand  .     .  81 

Seventh  Day.     Review 82 

Study  VIII 

First  Day.     Jesus     Refutes     the     Casuistry     of     the 

Rabbis 84 

Second  Day.    Jesus   Leaves   Galilee 86 

Third  Day.     Jesus  Cures  a  Deaf-Mute 87 

Fourth  Day.     The  Confession  of  Peter 89 

Fifth  Day.     Jesus   Tells    the   Disciples   of   the   Inevi- 
table End  Awaiting  Him 90 

Sixth  Day.     Jesus    Is    Concerned    About   All    of   the 

Disciples 91 

Seventh  Day.     Review 92 

Study  IX 

First  Day.     The  Transfiguration 94 

Second  Day.     The  Dispute  as  to  Who  Was  Greatest  95 

Third  Day.     The  Selfish  Misconception  of  the  King- 
dom Held  by  the  Twelve 96 

Fourth  Day.     The  Reply  of  Jesus  to  the  Question  of 

Peter   Concerning   Forgiveness 98 

Fifth  Day.    Jesus  Blesses  Little  Children   ....  99 

Sixth  Day.     The  Rich  Young  Man 100 

Seventh  Day.    Review :•.    •     .  102 


xiv  Contents 

Study  X  page 

First  Day.     The  Peril  of  an  Empty  Life   ....  105 

Second  Day.     The  Kingdom,  the  Highest  Good    .      .  106 

Third  Day.     The  Parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan     .  107 

Fourth  Day.     Martha  and   Mary 109 

Fifth  Day.     The  Prodigal  Son no 

Sixth  Day.     Jesus  Faces  Jerusalem iii 

Seventh  Day.     Review 112 

Study  XI 

First  Day.     The    Political    Ambition    of    James    and 
John        115 

Second  Day.     Jesus  Passes  Through  Jericho   .      .     .116 

Third  Day.     The   Entrance  of  Jesus   Into  Jerusalem  117 

Fourth  Day.     The    Expulsion    of    the    Bazaar    Mer- 
chants  from    the   Temple 118 

Fifth  Day.     The    Priests    Question   the   Authority   of 
Jesus 120 

Sixth  Day.     The  Question  of  Tribute  to  Caesar     .     .   121 

Seventh  Day.     Review 122 

Study  XII 

First  Day.     The  Question  of  the  Sadducees     .     .     .   125 

Second  Day.    The  Great  Commandment.     The  Seven 
Woes 126 

Third  Day.     The  Seven  Woes   (continued)       .     .     .   127 

Fourth  Day.     The  Seven  Woes    (concluded)    .      .      .    128 

Fifth  Day.     The    Two    Mites    of    the    Widow.     The 

Apocalyptic    Demonstration 129 

Sixth  Day.     The  Time  of  the  Apocalypse     .     .     .       129 

Seventh  Day.     Review 131 

Study  XIII 

First  Day.     The  Anointing  of  Jesus 133 

Second  Day.    Jesus  Eats  the  Passover 134 

Third  Day.     Jesus  Starts  for  Gethsemane  ....   135 

Fourth  Day.     The  Arrest  of  Jesus I37 

Fifth  Day.     The  Trial  of  Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrin  138 

Sixth  Day.    The  Denial  of  Peter  and  the  Trial   Be- 
fore   Pilate 139 

Seventh  Day.     Review ,     ♦     .     .     .   140 


Contents  XV 

Study  XIV  page 

First  Day.     The  Crucifixion  of  Jesus 142 

Second  Day.     The   Burial  and  Resurrection  of  Jesus  143 

Third  Day.     The  Resurrection  of  Jesus    (concluded)    145 

Fourth  Day.     Obedience    and    Unselfish    Service    the 

Path  to  Intellectual  Comprehension       ....    147 

Fifth  Day.     The  Essence  of  Religion 148 

Sixth  Day.     The  Motive  Power  —  The  Living  Christ  150 

Seventh  Day.     "What   Think   Ye   of   Christ?"    The 
Divinity  of  Jesus 153 

Study  XV 

First  Day.     The  Divinity  of  Jesus   (concluded)    .     .   158 

Second  Day.     The   Miracles 165 

Third  Day.    The   Church 168 

Conclusion 169 


JESUS  AND  THE  YOUNG  MAN 

OF  TO-DAY 

STUDY  I.    FIRST  DAY 
Outline  of  the  Gospel  of  Mark 

Ask  the  average  American  schoolboy  to  sketch  the  life  of 
George  Washington,  and  usually  he  will  give  you  the  principal 
events  of  the  life  of  Washington,  beginning  with  his  boyhood 
days,  mentioning  his  heroic  conduct  at  Fort  Duquesne,  telling 
about  the  battles  he  fought  as  leader  of  the  Continental  Army, 
describing  his  inauguration  as  president,  and  ending  with 
his  death  at  Mount  Vernon.  Here  and  there  some  incident 
will  loom  large,  but  the  boy  has  a  general  mental  picture  of 
the  life  of  Washington  as  a  well-connected  whole  beginning 
with  his  boyhood  days  and  moving  forward  to  his  death. 

Ask  the  same  boy  to  sketch  the  life  of  Jesus,  and  he  does  not 
think  of  the  life  of  Jesus  as  an  orderly,  natural  progression, 
but  thinks  of  a  series  of  disconnected  incidents  :  the  crucifix- 
ion, the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  the  parable  of  the  sower, 
or  other  events  all  disconnected  or  loosely  joined  together. 
Our  'study  to-day  is  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  life  of 
Jesus  had  a  definite,  progressive  plan. 

If  you  have  time,  read  the  Gospel  of  Mark.  It  will  take 
about  fifty-five  minutes,  or  half  as  long  as  the  time  spent 
in  watching  an  ordinary  football  game.  You  will  no- 
tice that  it  begins  with  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus,  the  first 
thirteen  verses  constituting  an  introduction.  In  i  :  14  Jesus  ap- 
pears in  Galilee  announcing  the  immediate  approach  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  His  teaching  meets  with  popular  response 
until  at  the  end  of  chapter  one  we  find  hearers  "  coming  to 
him   from  every  quarter."     But   soon   His   teaching  conflicts 

I 


2  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

with  the  ideas  of  the  religious  leaders  of  the  day.  Jesus  as- 
sumes the  authority  to  forgive  sins,  He  eats  with  publicans 
and  sinners,  and  in  2 :  18-22  intimates  the  overthrow  of  the 
existing  religious  institutions.  When  the  opposition  grows  so 
strong  that  He  realizes  that  the  conflict  will  inevitably  end  in 
His  death,  Jesus  withdraws  from  Galilee  (7:24),  and  con- 
centrates His  efforts  upon  His  twelve  followers  in  order  that 
they  may  be  prepared  to  carry  on  His  work  after  the  religious 
leaders  of  the  nation  had  wreaked  their  vengeance  on  Him. 
In  II :  I  Jesus  comes  to  Jerusalem  for  the  passover,  is  seized, 
and  crucified,  16:  1-20  is  an  account  of  the  resurrection.  An 
outline  of  the  Gospel  by  Professor  Kent  in  the  Historical 
Bible,  is  as  follows : 

Introduction : 

Summary   of   John's  work   and   of  Jesus'  baptism  and 
temptation,  i :  1-13. 

A.  Jesus'  Work  in  Galilee,  i :  14-7 :  23. 

1.  Beginning  of  his  work  of  teaching  and  healing,  i :  14- 

2.  Growth  of  Pharisaic  opposition,  2 :  1-3 :  6. 

3.  The  call  of  the  Twelve,  3 :  7-35. 

4.  The  teaching  by  parables,  4:  1-34. 

5.  Confirmation  of  his  authority  by  miracles,  4:  35-6:  13. 

6.  The  fate  of  John  the  Baptist,  6:  14-29. 

7.  Miracles  illustrating  Jesus'  power  over  nature,  6 :  30- 

8.  Conflict  with  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  7 :  1-23. 

B.  Jesus  in  Retirement  with  His  Disciples,  7:24-10:52. 

1.  Miracles  of  healing,  7:  24-8:  26.  •  . 

2.  Revelation  of  his  coming  death,  8:27-9:32. 

3.  Glory  through  service,  9 :  33-50. 

4.  The  spirit  of   renunciation,    10:  1-31. 

5.  The  rewards  in  the  kingdom,  ic :  32-45. 

6.  Healing  the  blind  beggar  at  Jericho,  10 :  46-52. 

C.  The  Closing  Scenes  at  Jerusalem,  11:  1-16:8. 

1.  Assertion  of  his  God-given  authority,  11:  1-12:  12. 

2.  Teaching  in  the  temple,  12 :  13-44. 

3.  Warning  of  coming  judgment,  13. 

4.  Events  leading*  to  the  betrayal,  14:  1-52. 


The  General  Situation  in  Pale  stint  3 

5.  Peter's  denial,  14 :  53,  54,  65-72. 

6.  Jesus'  trial  and  crucifixion,  14:55-64,  15:1-39. 

7.  The  burial  and  the  empty  tomb,  15:40-16:8. 

Epilogue:     The  resurrection  experiences,  16:9-20.1 

"  New  truth,"  says  Dean  Bosworth,  "  cannot  be  unloaded  in 
an  unprepared  mind  like  furniture  in  an  empty  house.  Re- 
member that  what  took  you  a  long  time  to  understand  and 
accept  you  cannot  usually  expect  another  to  accept  from  you 
when  you  first  attempt  to  share  it  with  him.  Be  sure,  too, 
that  God  has  much  to  say  to  you  that  you  are  not  yet  able  to 
hear.  If  we  remember  this  we  are  often  kept  from  intol- 
erance and  impatience."  2 


Study  I.  Second  Day 
The  General  Situation  in  Palestine 

"i.  The  Political  Situation. —  Read  Luke  3:  1-2.  The  Jews 
had  been  a  part  of  the  Roman  Empire  since  63  b.  c,  when  the 
Romans,  under  Pompey,  finding  that  the  Sabbath-keeping 
Jews  would  not  fight  on  the  Sabbath  day,  raised  their  battering 
rams  against  the  walls  without  risk  on  the  Sabbath  and  cap- 
tured the  city  (Josephus,  Antiquities,  14:4:3).  This  capture 
of  Jerusalem  closed  a  century  of  struggle  and  independence  in 
some  respects  the  most  brilliant  of  all  Jewish  history. 

"  The  Romans  governed  the  Jews  through  the  Herods,  a 
powerful  family  probably  of  Edomite  origin  (that  is,  descend- 
ants of  Esau),  who  knew  how  to  make  themselves  tolerable 
to  the  Jews  and  indispensable  to  the  Romans.  The  most 
famous  member  of  the  family,  Herod  the  Great,  '  the  splendid 
Arab ' —  a  man  of  strong  passions,  dark  vices,  and  large 
executive  ability  —  had  died  shortly  after  the  birth  of  Jesus. 
When  Jesus  entered  public  life  several  members  of  this  fa- 
mous family  were  holding  governorships  in  districts  of  Pal- 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used   by   permission    of   the    Charles    Scribner's    Sons.      New   York. 

2  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  L.  L  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association    Press.     New   York. 


4  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of  To-day 

estine,  although  Judea,  in  which  Jerusalem  was  Situated, 
was  governed  by  Pontius  Pilate,  the  Roman  procurator.  The 
Jews  enjoyed  a  reasonable  degree  of  self-government,  al- 
though the  Romans  saw  to  it  that  the  highest  office  in  the 
nation,  the  high  priesthood,  which  had  earlier  been  hereditary 
and  held  for  life,  was  now  filled  by  their  own  nominees  and 
held  during  the  pleasure  of  the  Roman  authorities. 

"  2.  The  Religious  Situation. —  The  Jews  were  specialists  in 
religion ;  the  rabbis  and  priests  were  their  most  prominent 
citizens.  The  Jews  inhabiting  Palestine  at  this  time  were 
descendants  of  the  comparatively  small  minority  that  had 
cared  enough  for  religion  to  turn  away  from  the  business 
openings  in  Babylon  and  return  from  Babylonian  captivity 
to  Jehovah's  temple  in  Palestine.  The  center  of  their  reli- 
gious system,  at  least  in  its  popular  aspects,  had  finally  come 
to  be  the  Messianic  hope.  It  was  expected  that  a  king 
anointed  of  God  would  appear  who  should  make  them  polit- 
ically supreme  in  the  world.  He  would  found  and  administer 
'  God's  Kingdom,'  before  which  all  other  kingdoms  would 
disappear  or  become  subordinate.  The  Caesars  would  one 
day  come  to  Jerusalem  with  tribute !  This  hope  gave  the 
people  life  and  vigor.  Each  springtime  troops  of  pilgrims 
went  singing  up  through  the  country  to  Jerusalem,  looking 
askance  at  the  Roman  soldiers  there  and  praying  for  the 
coming  Kingdom.  To  this  coming  Messiah  every  man  looked 
for  the  realization  of  his  ideal.  The  so-called  *  Pharisee ' 
longed  to  see  every  Jew  a  scrupulous  observer  of  Moses' 
Law ;  the  Zealot  highlander  from  Galilee  longed  to  see  the 
Roman  out  of  the  land ;  the  average  man  longed  for  '  better 
times,'  less  work,  better  food  and  clothes  and  more  of  them  ; 
the  Sadducean  priests,  whose  chief  interest  was  in  the  temple 
revenues,  were  probably  satisfied  with  things  as  they  were. 

"  3.  The  Industrial  Situation. —  Although  the  Palestinian 
Jews  were  a  religious  people,  still,  the  money-making  instinct 
which  has  been  characteristic  of  the  race  in  all  ages,  was 
strong  in  them.  As  will  be  seen  later,  Jesus  had  to  make 
determined  protest  against  this  spirit  which  permeated  even 
the  religious  leaders  of  the  nation.  Read  Mark  12:40;  Luke 
16:  14;  Matt.  6:  19-24.  All  through  the  Gospels  the  hum  of 
business  is  heard.    The  sower,  the  fisherman,  the  pearl  mer- 


The  General  Situation  in  Palestine  5 

chant,  the  poor  calculator  who  began  to  build  and  could  not 
finish,  the  banker,  the  rich  farmer,  the  steward,  and  the 
money-changer  are  figures  that  go  busily  about  through  the 
Gospel  narrative. 

"  4.  Greek  Civilization. —  Although  the  Jews  had  resisted 
the  encroachment  of  Greek  life  more  successfully  than  most 
nations,  still  Greek  language  and  customs  had  entered  largely 
into  Palestine.  Greek,  as  well  as  Aramaic  (the  current  dia- 
lect of  Hebrew),  was  spoken  in  the  land,  and  there  was  a 
theater  even  in  Jerusalem.  Matt.  10:5  is  an  allusion  to  the 
foreigner  in  Palestine. 

"  5.  The  Situation  in  the  World. —  Slavery  existed  in  brutal 
form,  family  life  was  decadent,  human  sympathy  meager,  phi- 
•  losophers  were  pessimistic.  In  Palestine  and  in  the  world  at 
large  it  was  an  age  of  highly  developed  selfishness."  ^  Yet 
underneath  the  selfishness  and  pessimism  was  an  intense 
yearning  for  heart-satisfying  truth  and  a  longing  for  a  divine 
virtue-making  power. 

6.  "  It  was  God's  plan  to  introduce  into  this  dark  situation 
a  single  Life  which,  like  a  single  clear  true  note,  should  draw 
all  discordant  elements  into  harmony.  The  New  Order  of 
things  began  with  the  introduction  of  that  Life,  its  ideals  and 
purposes.  We  instinctively  date  all  events  of  human  history 
with  reference  to  the  introduction  of  that  Life;  they  happen 
either  b.  c.  or  a.  d.  Think  to-day  and  every  day  during  this 
study  of  your  own  relation  to  that  Life.  How  ought  it  to 
afifect  your  life  to-day?  "  1 


Study  I.  Third  Day 
The  General  Situation  in  Palestine  (concluded) 

"  Contrast  Christ's  day  with  ours.  .  .  ,  We  are  educated, 
enlightened  by  the  best  thought  of  the  past,  the  surest  knowl- 
edge of  the  present;  but  His  were  an  uneducated  people,  hardly 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 


6  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

knew  the  schoolmaster,  and  where  they  did,  received  from 
him  instruction  that  stunted  rather  than  developed.  We  live 
in  a  present  that  knows  the  past  and  is  enriched  with  all  its 
mental  wealth.  ,  .  .  But  Jesus  lived  in  a  present  closed  to 
every  past,  save  the  past  of  His  own  people.  The  common 
home-born  Jew  knew  the  Gentile  but  to  despise  him ;  the  wis- 
dom of  Greece  and  Rome  was  to  him  but  foolishness,  best 
unknown;  while  the  light  that  streamed  from  his  own  Scrip- 
tures could  be  seen  only  through  the  thick  dark  horn  of 
rabbinical  interpretation.  We  live  in  times  when  the  world 
has  grown  wondrously  wide  and  open  to  man ;  when  nations 
beat  in  closest  sympathy  with  each  other;  when  the  thoughts 
of  one  people  swiftly  become  those  of  another ;  when  com- 
merce has  so  woven  its  fine  network  around  the  world  that 
all  its  parts  now  feel  connected  and  akin ;  but  Jesus  lived  in 
a  land  which  prided  itself  on  its  ignorance  and  hatred  of  the 
foreigner,  where  the  thought  of  common  brotherhood  or 
kinship  could  only  rise  to  be  cast  out  and  abhorred.  In  our 
day  nature  has  been  interpreted,  the  physical  universe  has 
become  practically  infinite  in  space  and  time,  filling  the  soul 
with  a  sense  of  awe  in  its  presence  the  earlier  ages  could 
not  possibly  have  experienced ;  but  in  Christ's  day  and  to  His 
countrymen  nature  was  but  a  simple  thing,  of  small  signifi- 
cance, with  few  mysteries.  Ours  is,  indeed,  a  day  that  might 
well  create  a  great  man,  a  universal  teacher,  the  founder  of 
a  new  faith.  Yet  where  is  the  person  that  thinks  it  possible 
for  our  historical  conditions  to  create  a  Christ?  .  .  .  But  if  the 
creation  of  Christ  transcends  our  historical  conditions,  was 
it  possible  to  His  own?  Or  does  He  not  stand  out  so  much 
their  superior  as  to  be,  while  a  Child  of  time,  the  Son  of 
the  Eternal,  the  only  Begotten  who  has  descended  to  earth 
from  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  that  He  might  declare  Him  ?  "  i 

1  Studies  in   the   Life  of  Christ.     A.   M.    Fairbairn.     Used  by  permis- 
sion  of  the  D.   Appleton  and  Company.     New  York. 


John  the  Baptist 


Study  I.  Fourth  Day 

John  the  Baptist.     Mark  i:i-8;  Matt.  3:1-12; 

Luke  3:  3-18 

The  Gospel  of  Mark  has  no  account  of  the  birth  and  child- 
hood of  Jesus.  After  a  brief  introduction,  it  proceeds  imme- 
diately with  His  public  life.  It  brings  quickly  before  us  the 
rough,  fearless,  ascetic  John  the  Baptist,  with  his  startling 
message ;  briefly  mentions  the  temptation,  and  introduces 
us  to  Jesus  in  Galilee,  where  he  is  announcing  that  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven  is  at  hand. 

The  phrase,  "  the  Son  of  God,"  in  v.  i,  did  not  occur  in 
the  earliest  manuscripts  and  vv.  2-3  are  also  thought  to  be  a 
later  insertion.     Read  Mark  i :  1-8. 

The  first  chapter  of  Luke  gives  an  account  of  the  early 
days  of  John  the  Baptist.  In  training,  dress,  and  message 
he  reminds  us  of  Amos,  the  shepherd  prophet  of  Israel's  pros- 
perity. He  "  looks  at  a  distance,"  says  Dean  Bosworth, 
"  like  the  figure  of  a  dervish  from  the  desert  such  as  may 
sometimes  be  seen  in  the  streets  of  Cairo  or  Jerusalem  to-day. 
His  uncut  Nazarite's  hair,  destined  one  day  to  be  clotted  with 
his  own  life  blood,  grows  long ;  his  cloak  is  of  coarse  hair- 
cloth ;  a  leather  strap,  not  a  sash,  is  around  his  waist,  and  he 
has  adopted  the  diet  of  the  ascetic  of  the  desert."  ^ 

John  probably  visited,  as  Amos  did,  the  large  centers  of 
population  at  the  time  of  the  important  religious  festivals,  and 
was  made  heartsick  by  the  religious  hypocrisy  and  oppression 
of  the  cities. 

Soon,  however,  the  conviction  grew  in  the  mind  of  John 
that  the  time  was  near  when  God  would  redeem  the  peo- 
ple of  Israel.  Surely  the  price  had  been  paid  for  the  apos- 
tasy of  the  nation.  It  was  now  seven  hundred  and  fifty-four 
years  since  the  fall  of  Samaria  and  six  hundred  and  twenty 
since  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Had  not  the  prophetic 
voice  of  the   spokesman  of   God   sounded  even   five  hundred 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E,  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


8  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

years  ago,  "  Yea,  many  peoples  and  strong  nations  shall  come 
to  seek  Jehovah  of  hosts  in  Jerusalem,  and  entreat  the  favor 
of  Jehovah." 

As  he  brooded  and  thought  on  these  Messianic  sermons, 
the  conviction  became  an  intense  inward  fire,  and  John 
emerged  from  the  wilderness  to  stir  and  prepare  the  nation 
for  the  immediate  coming  of  the  Messiah.     Read  Mark  i :  i-8. 


Study  I.  Fifth  Day 

The  Message  of  John.     Mark  i :  2-8;  Matt.  3:  1-12 ; 

Luke  3:  3-18 

During  the  generations  in  which  the  Jewish  people  endured 
oppression  and  national  slavery,  there  was  nourished  in  their 
breasts  the  hope  of  the  coming  Messiah.  As  the  persecution 
grew  more  severe  and  the  appearance  of  the  Messiah  was 
longer  delayed,  the  conviction  grew  deeper  and  the  hope  more 
intense  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  Messiah  when  he  did 
come.  It  is  no  wonder  then,  that  the  rough  prophet  of  the 
wilderness  resembling  the  prophets  of  old,  created  a  stir  in 
the  land  as  he  called  the  nation  to  prepare  for  the  quickly 
approaching  Kingdom.  His  message  was  primarily  the  near- 
ness of  the  Messianic  demonstration.  "Repent!"  thundered 
the  summons,  "  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand." 

The  news  spread  like  wildfire.  Crowds  began  to  gather 
at  the  Jordan  from  all  sections.  The  religious  leaders  of  the 
nation  sent  a  deputation  to  investigate  this  rough  messenger 
of  the  wilderness. 

The  second  part  of  the  message  of  John  dealt  briefly  with 
the  work  of  the  Messiah.  He  was  to  come  like  the  orchard 
keeper  who  goes  through  the  orchard  examining  the  trees. 
Those  which  are  unfruitful  are  to  be  chopped  down  and  cast 
into  the  fire.  Those  which  are  good  are  to  be  pruned  and 
saved.  Or  he  was  to  be  like  the  wheat  sifter  who  had  tram- 
pled the  wheat  upon  the  hard  earthen  threshing  floor,  and 
who  now  with  the  winnowing  shovel  was  beginning  to  throw 
the  jumbled  mass  into  the  air  for  the  wind  to  blow  the  chaff 


The  Early  Life  of  Jesus  9 

to  one  side  for  burning,  while  the  wheat  falling  to  the  floor 
was  to  be  gathered  into  the  barn. 

John's  idea  of  the  Messiah  was  that  of  a  righteous  judge 
who  would  bring  the  nation  to  judgment  and  administer  jus- 
tice relentlessly ;  prosperity  to  the  righteous,  condemnation  to 
the  wicked.  We  shall  study  later  the  idea  of  Jesus  of  the 
Messianic  Kingdom,  and  shall  realize  that  the  disappointment 
of  John  in  Jesus  was  perfectly  natural  in  view  of  their  diver- 
gent Messianic  ideals.  Read  Matthew  3  :  1-12  and  try  to  imag- 
ine the  hubbub  and  turmoil  which  the  striking  dress,  the  fear- 
lessness, and  the  stirring  message  of  John  the  Baptist  pro- 
duced in  Israel  in  a.  d,  26. 


Study  I.  Sixth  Day 
The  Early  Life  of  Jesus.     Luke  2 :  39-52 

The  accounts  of  the  early  life  of  Jesus  are  very  brief. 
We  can  only  conjecture  that  He  received  such  education 
in  the  home  and  in  the  synagogue  schools  as  was  af- 
forded the  Jewish  boys  of  His  day.  This  limited  training 
was  almost  entirely  religious  and  instilled  into  the  growing 
boy  a  strong  racial  pride. 

The  home  of  Jesus  was  in  Nazareth  in  Galilee,  away  from 
the  more  hidebound,  oppressive  ecclesiastical  atmosphere 
of  Jerusalem.  "  The  country  about  Nazareth,"  says  Dean 
Bosworth,  "  was  in  its  educational  influence  historically  for 
the  Jewish  boy  much  what  the  country  about  Boston  is  for 
an  American  boy.  If  the  village  teacher  was  a  man  of  any 
imagination  he  must  have  spent  afternoons  of  rare  interest 
with  his  schoolboys  on  the  Nazareth  hilltops."  ^  "  You  can- 
not see  from  Nazareth  the  surrounding  country,  for  Naza- 
reth rests  in  a  basin  among  the  hills ;  but  the  moment  you 
climb  to  the  edge  of  this  basin,  which  is  everywhere  within 
the  limit  of  the  village  boy's  playground,  what  a  view  you 
have !  Esdraelon  lies  before  you,  with  its  twenty  battle-fields 
—  the  scenes  of  Barak's  and  Gideon's  victories,  the  scenes  of 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association    Press.     New   York. 


lO  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

Saul's  and  Josiah's  defeats,  the  scenes  of  the  struggles  for 
freedom  in  the  glorious  days  of  the  Maccabees.  There  is 
Naboth's  vineyard  and  the  place  of  Jehu's  revenge  upon  Jeze- 
bel;  there  Shunem  and  the  house  of  Elisha;  there  Carmel 
and  the  place  of  Elijah's  sacrifice.  To  the  east  the  Valley  of 
Jordan,  with  the  long  range  of  Gilead;  to. the  w^est  the  radi- 
ance of  the  Great  Sea,  with  the  ships  of  Tarshish  and  the 
promise  of  the  Isles.  You  see  thirty  miles  in  three  direc- 
tions. It  is  a  map  of  Old  Testament  history.  But  equally 
full  and  rich  was  the  present  life  on  which  the  eyes  of  the 
boy  Jesus  looked  out.  .  .  .  For  all  the  rumor  of  the  Empire 
entered  Palestine  close  to  Nazareth  —  the  news  from  Rome, 
about  the  Emperor's  health,  about  the  changing  influence  of 
the  great  statesmen,  about  the  prospects  at  court  of  Herod, 
or  of  the  Jews ;  about  Caesar's  last  order  concerning  the  trib- 
ute, or  whether  the  policy  of  the  Procurator  would  be  sus- 
tained. ...  A  vision  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  was  as 
possible  from  this  village  as  from  the  mount  of  temptation."  ^ 


Study  I,  Seventh  Day 
Review 

Review  to-day  the  work  of  the  last  six  days.  Remem- 
ber we  are  not  attempting  to  prove  the  existence  of  God, 
or  to  define  the  Holy  Spirit  or  its  mission.  We  merely 
state  that  the  record  tells  us  that  in  a  certain  nation  nineteen 
hundred  years  ago  a  man  named  John  appeared  preaching 
to  the  people  that  the  long  expected  time  had  arrived  when 
God  was  to  establish  His  Kingdom  on  earth.  The  chosen 
representative  of  God  would  appear  who  would  separate  the 
evil  from  the  good,  proclaimed  this  herald,  and  who  would 
stir  the  soul  of  the  nation  by  the  very  fire  of  God  Himself. 
Let  us  assume  for  the  time  being  that  God  exists. 

Consider  these  questions  for  this  week : 

I.  In  view  of  the  moral  conditions  in  Palestine  in  a.  d.  26 
did  the  appearance  of  Jesus  seem  opportune? 

1  Historical  Geography  of  the  Hob'  Land.  G.  A.  Smith,  D.D.,  T.L.D. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  George  H.  Doran  Company.  Publishers. 
New  York. 


R 


eview  1 1 


2.  Are  you  excusing  your  lack  of  moral  courage  in  battling 
with  the  immoral  or  unmoral  conditions  of  your  college,  your 
fraternity,  or  athletic  group  by  saying  the  time  is  inopportune 
for  such  an  advance? 

3.  Jesus  spent  thirty  years  in  preparation  for  a  three  years' 
task.  It  is  evident  from  His  public  life  that  He  was  prepared 
to  meet  any  emergency  because  He  had  always  performed 
humble  duties  thoroughly.  He  did  each  task  as  if  it  were 
the  supreme  thing  in  life. 

The  factors  which  determine  primarily  the  success  of  a  na- 
tion in  war  are  the  ideals,  character,  physical  stamina,  and 
thrift  of  the  people  during  peace. 


STUDY  II.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Baptism  of  Jesus.     Mark  i :  g-ii ;  Matt.  3:  13- 

17  ;  Luke  3:  21-22 

For  years,  there  had  been  gradually  growing  in  the  mind 
of  Jesus  the  firm  conviction  that  the  religious  leaders  of  His 
day  had  an  utter  misconception  of  the  Messianic  Kingdom. 
No  doubt  He  discussed  His  views  with  many  sincere  rabbis 
whenever  the  opportunity  arose,  but  found  their  minds  clouded 
by  current  superstitions  and  tradition.  The  very  unre- 
sponsiveness of  the  people  to  whom  he  talked  made  Jesus 
realize  more  intensely  the  need  for  some  one  to  give  to  the 
nation  the  correct  idea  of  the  coming  Kingdom.  Perhaps, 
one  day,  in  the  quiet  and  stillness  of  solitude  there  came  to 
His  soul  the  feeling  that  God  had  chosen  Him  for  this  mis- 
sion, and  that  He  Himself  was  the  chosen  Messiah  of  God 
to  inaugurate  the  Kingdom.  This  consciousness  of  His 
divine  mission  gradually  grew  in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  until  it 
reached  complete  realization  at  the  time  of  His  baptism. 

"  Rumors  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  Jordan  valley 
reached  Nazareth.  Perhaps  in  the  cool  of  the  day  from  the 
Nazareth  hilltop,  Jesus  often  looked  down  the  green  valley 
of  Jezreel  towards  the  Jordan.  There  came  a  day  when  He 
put  His  shop  in  order,  looked  back  upon  it  from  the  door 
for  the  last  time,  and  joined  the  crowds  listening  to  the  fiery 
appeals  of  the  wilderness  prophet."  ^ 

Jesus  and  John  evidently  knew  each  other  and  the  Bap- 
tizer  had  recognized  in  his  carpenter  cousin  from  Nazareth  a 
nature  deeper  and  truer  than  his  own.  It  is  of  little  wonder 
then  that  John  reluctantly  baptized  Jesus.     Read  the  account 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 

12 


The  Baptism  of  Jesus  13 

in   Mark    1:9-11    and   the  parallel   accounts   in   Matthew   and 
Luke. 

We  must  realize  that  Jesus  was  so  infinitely  above  His  dis- 
ciples that,  although  sincere,  their  untrained  minds  were 
unable  to  grasp  quickly  the  significance  of  His  life  and  mis- 
sion. Many  of  the  deeper  experiences  of  His  life  and  much 
of  His  teaching,  Jesus  gave,  therefore,  in  parable,  for  stories 
are  easily  retained  in  the  memory.  In  after  years,  with  the 
adequate  perspective  of  His  completed  life,  these  stories 
would  be  recalled  and  the  disciples  would  then  be  able  to 
understand  the  facts,  principles,  or  experiences  underlying 
them.  This,  it  seems  to  the  writer,  is  evidently  the  case 
in  the  account  of  the  baptism  and  the  temptation. 

Baptism  probably  meant  to  Jesus,  the  identification  of  Him- 
self with  those  expecting  immediately  the  coming  Kingdom. 
As  He  walked  into  the  water,  there  came  flooding  into  His 
soul  an  absolute  confirmation  of  the  consciousness  of  His 
divine  mission  and  God  the  Father  spoke  to  the  heart  of 
His  especially  chosen  one,  "  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son,  in  thee 
I  am  well  pleased." 

The  writer  does  not  believe  that  an  actual  dove  descended 
or  that  an  audible  voice  spoke.  These  are  parts  of  the  para- 
ble with  which  Jesus  clothed  this  experience.  A  camera 
would  not  have  shown  the  dove,  neither  would  a  dictagraph 
have  recorded  the  words.  As  James  Denny  expresses  it  in 
"  The  Death  of  Christ,"  "  The  sum  of  that  experience  is  often 
put  by  saying  that  He  came  then  to  the  consciousness  of  His 
Sonship.  ...  A  voice  from  heaven  does  not  mean  a  voice 
from  the  clouds  but  a  voice  from  God ;  and  it  is  important 
to  notice  that  the  voice  from  God  speaks  in  familiar  Old 
Testament  words." 


Study  II.  Second  Day 

The  Temptation  of  Jesus.     Mark  i :  12-13 1  Matt. 

4:  i-ii;  Luke  4: 1-13 

A  man  is   standing  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  giant  "  sky- 
scrapers "  of   New   York  viewing  that  great  city.     He  turns 


14  Jesus  and  the    Young  Man   of   To-day 

to  a  companion  and  asks,  "  If  you  wanted  to  make  this  city 
a  city  of  God  and  establish  the  Kingdom  of  God  here,  what 
would  you  do  ?  " 

The  companion  answers,  after  a  moment's  thought,  "  I 
would  clean  up  those  tenements ;  I  would  reduce  street-car 
fares  to  relieve  that  tenement  congestion  and  let  those  labor- 
ers live  in  the  country,  I  would  raise  the  wages  of  working 
girls.  I  would  wipe  out  the  vice  districts ;  and  drive  out 
the  grafting  and  corrupt  politicians.  I  would  Americanize 
those  foreigners.  I  would  prosecute  every  one  who  preyed 
upon  the  poor.  I  would  tear  down  those  Fifth  Avenue  pal- 
aces, open  only  a  month  or  two  in  a  year,  and  make  play- 
grounds for  the  children.  I  would  have  cleaner  streets  and 
better  sanitation.  I  would  give  every  man  a  fair  chance  and 
then  I  should  have  a  city  of  God." 

"  I  doubt  it,"  replies  the  first  speaker,  "  for  if  you  didn't 
clean  up  the  hearts  of  those  people,  you  would  probably  have 
as  much  of  hell  as  before,  notwithstanding  your  improved 
conditions.  Most  of  that  suffering  is  caused  by  the  sin  and 
selfishness  within  men." 

Having  reached  a  full  realization  of  His  divine  mission  at 
the  baptism,  Jesus  retired  into  the  wilderness  to  face  the  great 
questions,  "  What  kind  of  Kingdom  does  my  Father  want  me 
to  establish.  How  shall  it  be  established,  and  How  shall  it  be 
inaugurated  ?  " 

Read  Mark  i  :  12-13  and  the  more  complete  account  in  Mat- 
thew 4:  i-ii. 

In  the  first  temptation,  Jesus  was  tempted  to  make  His 
Kingdom  minister  to  the  material  needs  of  men  and  to  spend 
His  life  relieving  the  oppressive  social  conditions  of  His  day. 
He  was  tempted  to  abolish  slavery  and  unjust  taxation  and 
to  build  a  city  of  God  in  Jerusalem,  as  our  friend  on  the  "  sky- 
scraper "  would  have  done  in  New  York.  A  nature  such  as 
Jesus'  must  have  suffered  at  the  sight  of  so  much  hunger 
and  destitution.  He  must  have  burned  with  indignation  when 
He  saw  the  weak  trodden  under  foot  by  the  strong.  But 
Jesus  saw  that  the  real  distress  of  men  was  not  physical  but 
spiritual.  His  Kingdom  was  not  to  change  environment  but 
to  change  the  inward  lives  of  men  ;  not  to  make  good  condi- 
tions, except  incidentally,  but  to  make  good  men ;  not  to  bring 


The   Temptation  of  Jesus  15 

about  reforms  but  to  make  reformers,  and  these  reformed 
men  would  remake  conditions  around  them.  Men  needed 
above  everything  else  to  know  God  and  to  come  into  rela- 
tionship with  Him.  "  For  men  do  not  live  by  bread  alone  but 
by  the  words  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." 

As  Dean  Bosworth  expresses  it,  "  He  saw  that  God's  ideal 
for  His  Kingdom  .  .  .  involved  the  bringing  of  men  into 
friendly  intercourse  with  God,  no  matter  how  long  it  might 
take,  and  in  this  way  securing  a  race  of  brotherly  men  among 
whom  there  would  be  no  longer  hunger  and  suffering.  He 
would  not  simply  treat  the  symptoms  of  the  disease  but  would 
by  a  longer  process  remove  the  deep-seated  disease  that  caused 
the  symptoms.  ,  .  .  The  supreme  aim  of  His  Kingdom  should 
be,  not  first  and  chiefly  physical  comforts  for  men,  though 
these  were  involved,  .  .  ,  But  the  supreme  feature  of  the 
Kingdom  and  the  source  of  all  other  features  would  be 
friendship  with  God  and  man.  There  should  be  a  race  of 
brotherly  sons  of  God."  ^ 

This,  to  the  mind  of  the  writer,  is  the  explanation  of  the 
first  temptation.  Jesus  was  tempted  to  make  His  Kingdom 
primarily  one  of  material  relief  and  not  spiritual  blessing. 
His  decision,  however,  was  not  to  make  stones  into  bread  but 
to  give  men  the  words  from  the  mouth  of  God. 

Of  course,  in  these  temptations,  the  writer  does  not  believe 
that  the  devil  actually  appeared  in  bodily  form,  or  that  Jesus 
went  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  or  that  He  saw  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  from  an  exceeding  high  mountain. 
These  are  the  parabolic  settings  in  which  Jesus  gave  the 
account  of  this  experience  to  His  disciples. 

The  meaning  of  the  first  temptation  for  us  is  expressed  in 
the  lines, 

"  God  hath  not  promised 
Skies  ever  blue, 
Flower-strewn   pathways 
Always    for   you. 

"  God  hath  not  promised 
Sun  without  rain, 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


1 6  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

Peace  without  sorrow, 
Joy  without  pain. 

"  But  God   hath   promised 
Strength  from  above, 
Unfailing  sympathy, 
Undying  love," 


Study  II,  Third  Day 
The  Temptation  of  Jesus  (concluded) 

After  determining  the  kind  of  Kingdom  His  Father  wanted 
Him  to  establish,  the  next  question  Jesus  faced  was,  *'  How 
shall  1  inaugurate  this  Kingdom?" 

In  answering  this  question,  let  us  continue  to  use  a  modern 
parallel.  If  a  man  were  to  attempt  to  establish  the  Kingdom 
of  God  in  New  York  City  to-day,  he  would  probably  map 
out  a  systematic  campaign  of  advertising.  Printed  matter 
would  be  widely  distributed  and  press  agents  would  be  kept 
busy.  A  great  parade  would  be  arranged  and  an  immense 
mass  meeting  would  be  held  in  Carnegie  Hall.  In  short,  he 
would  attempt  to  popularize  the  Kingdom  by  some  novel  form 
of  advertising  and  would  perhaps  secure  a  good  start  by  some 
spectacular  display. 

It  was  this,  the  writer  believes,  that  was  urged  upon  Jesus 
in  the  second  temptation.  He  could  at  some  great  feast 
announce  His  Messiahship  and  carry  the  religious  leaders  off 
their  feet  by  a  sudden,  popular  outburst  of  His  movement. 
To  paraphrase  the  figurative  language  of  Matthew  4 :  5-7, 
"  To  have  appeared  before  them  at  the  center  of  national 
worship  with  dash  and  brilliance,  miraculously  set  down 
among  them  by  Jehovah  Himself,  in  Jehovah's  courts,  would 
have  been  to   secure   instantaneous  acceptance."  ^ 

To  the  mind  of  Jesus,  this  was  not  the  plan  of  God.  As 
the    gospel    history    develops,    it    will    be    seen    that    Jesus 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


The  Temptation  of  Jesus  17 

planned  to  establish  His  Kingdom  by  unfolding  His  life  to  a 
few  receptive  individuals  who  would  in  turn  touch  other 
lives  until  ultimately  the  Kingdom  would  dominate  the  world. 
Jesus  was  convinced  that  His  Father  wanted  only  those  in 
His  Kingdom  who  were  drawn  into  its  membership  by  the 
principles  for  which  the  Kingdom  stood.  Novelties  and 
"  catch-penny "  schemes  were  not  to  be  employed  in  estab- 
lishing the  Kingdom  of  God. 

For  months,  Jesus  even  concealed  His  Messiahship  from 
the  disciples  and  did  not  announce  His  mission  to  the  nation 
until  a  few  hours  before  His  death. 

God's  method,  then,  of  inaugurating  His  Kingdom  was  not 
by  spectacular  mass  movem.ents  but  by  the  slower  hand-to- 
hand  work  in  which  men  came  to  a  realization  of  the  Father- 
hood of  God  by  contact  with  the  life  of  His  Son, 

The  third  question  Jesus  had  to  decide  was,  "  How  shall  I 
establish  the  Kingdom?" 

Using  again  the  modern  parallel,  if  a  man  were  deciding 
such  a  question  in  New  York  City  to-day,  he  might  think  that 
the  judicious  plan  would  be  to  ally  himself  with  the  strongest 
political  machine  in  the  city.  He  could  easily  be  elected  alder- 
man, and  if  a  vote  were  to  be  taken  on  a  corrupt  nomination 
or  a  corrupt  measure,  he  could  pretend  a  call  out  of  the  city 
on  business  in  order  not  to  vote.  Of  course  he  himself  would 
not  take  graft  but  he  would  only  mildly  protest  against  it  in 
his  party  or  among  his  associates.  He  would  refrain  from 
declaring  his  views  openly  and  uncompromisingly  until  he 
had  achieved  a  position  of  power  and  influence,  and  then  he 
could  institute  his  ideal  organization.  Perhaps  he  could  be 
elected  mayor,  and  then  he  could  destroy  the  corrupt  ma- 
chine which  had  elected  him  and  establish  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  He  would  compromise  with  existing  institutions  in 
order  that  eventually  he  might  overthrow  them. 

This,  the  writer  believes,  Jesus  was  tempted  to  do  in  estab- 
lishing the  Kingdom  of  His  Father.  He  could  have  been 
"tactful"  and  "judicious"  and,  perhaps,  eventually  have 
become  high  priest  or  even  procurator.  From  such  a  posi- 
tion He  could  have  established  His  Kingdom  and  have  had 
the  authority  to  enforce  His  views. 

The  third  temptation,  then,   was   for  Jesus  to  compromise 


1 8  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

with  evil  in  order  that  good  might  eventually  come,  to  secure 
an  ultimate  good  by  a  temporary  compromise  with  wrong. 

"  In  opposition  to  this  idea,  Jesus  proposed  simply  to  do 
right  at  the  moment,  to  worship  God,  and  God  only,  each 
moment."  ^  He  refused  to  compromise  with  evil  at  any  time 
but  went  to  the  cross  because  He  was  as  uncompromising 
and  fearless  as  any  antagonist  evil  ever  faced. 

Read  again  the  account  of  the  temptation,  and  remember 
that  it  is  "  very  likely  that  Jesus  experienced  depths  and 
heights  of  temptation  that  He  could  not  explain  even  to  His 
disciples,  but  He  made  it  clear  to  them  that  He  was  tempted, 
and  very  probably  tempted  as  fiercely  as  any  man  ever  has 
been,  or  ever  will  be,  by  temptations  commensurate  with  His 
great  nature."  ^ 


Study  II.  Fourth  Day 

The  Beginning  of  the  Ministry  of  Jesus.     Mark 

1:14-15 

Read  Mark  i :  14-15,  which  contains  the  general  theme  of 
the  addresses  of  Jesus  throughout  Galilee.  Jesus  not  only  an- 
nounced to  the  people  that  the  Kingdom  was  about  to  be  set 
up,  but  He  gave  the  requirements  for  admission  into  the  New 
Order  with  an  urgent  command  that  they  enter. 

"  We  can  scarcely  imagine  what  a  furor  of  discussion  these 
statements  would  have  produced  in  Galilee.  For  what  was 
the  'time  fulfilled'?  The  Kingdom  of  God  was,  as  has  been 
previously  stated,  somewhat  vaguely  conceived,  yet  in  the 
main  it  was  thought  of  as  a  political  organization  of  righteous 
Jews  to  be  administered  by  Jehovah  in  the  person  of  His 
Messiah,  which  would  destroy  or  annex  all  other  nations.  It 
seems  to  have  been  expected  also  that  the  righteous  dead 
would  appear  in  this  era.  The  establishment  of  the  Kingdom 
would  be  preceded  by  the  Messiah's  judgment."  ^ 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


The  tirst  Disciples  19 

We  shall  see,  as  our  studies  progress,  what  the  word  "gos- 
pel "  meant  to  Jesus.  It  has  rather  a  vague  and  varied  mean- 
ing in  the  language  of  the  Christian  church.  To  many,  it 
signifies  the  idea  of  the  atonement  whereby  the  death  of  Jesus 
on  the  cross  atoned  for  the  sins  of  the  world  and  satisfied 
divine  justice.  To  others,  it  means  the  entire  content  of  the 
Christian  teaching  and  theology.  To  others,  it  pertains  to  the 
Person  of  Christ  rather  than  to  any  of  His  teachings  or  dis- 
courses. 

The  word  "  gospel  "  means  simply  "  good  news,"  and  to  the 
Jews  of  the  time  of  Jesus  it  meant,  no  doubt,  that  God  was 
at  last  to  establish  His  Kingdom  among  His  chosen  people 
and  to  relieve  them  from  foreign  oppression.  It  probably  did 
not  convey  to  their  minds  that  Jesus  regarded  Himself  as  the 
Messiah,  and  from  Mark  8:27-30  it  can  be  seen  that  the 
people  did  not  so  regard  it. 


Study  II.  Fifth  Day 

The  First  Disciples.     Mark  i:  16-20;  Matt.  4:  18- 

22 ;  Luke  5: i-ii 

Mark  i  :  14  indicates  a  period  of  unrecorded  activity  on 
the  part  of  Jesus  between  the  time  of  the  temptation  and  the 
imprisonment  of  John.  It  is  probable  that  during  this  period 
Jesus  became  well  acquainted  with  the  men  who  were  to  be- 
come His  intimate  friends.     Read  Mark  i  :  16-20. 

Jesus  summons  these  Galileans  to  become  "  fishers  of  men." 
Perhaps  they  were  thrilled  by  these  words.  It  probably  meant 
to  them  that  they  were  to  be  the  recruiting  officers  of  the 
Messianic  army.  Surely  it  meant  positions  of  prominence  in 
the  coming  Kingdom,  and  immediately  "  they  left  their  father 
Zebedee  in  the  boat  with  the  hired  servants,  and  went  after 
him."  The  phrase,  "  with  the  hired  servants,"  would  indicate 
that  these  men  were  not  of  the  poorest  class  in  Galilee,  al- 
though it  is  commonly  thought  that  Jesus  chose  His  disci- 
ples from  that  class.  "  These  men  were  probably  net  fish  ped- 
dlers  going   from   door   to   door   with   their   daily  catch,  but 


20  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

fish  packers  preparing  cured  or  pickled  fish  for  the  market."  ^ 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  Jesus  chose  several  of  His  disciples  from 
the  middle  class,  as  He  found  less  prejudice  and  more  open- 
mindedness  in  this  class  than  in  any  other  group. 

Many  people  suppose  that  these  men  gave  up  business  and 
spent  their  entire  time  with  Jesus,  but  it  is  more  than  likely 
that  they  continued  their  work.  After  this  call,  no  doubt, 
they  spent  less  time  at  business  and  more  time  with  Jesus, 
just  as  we  do  in  any  modern  religious  campaign;  but  we  have 
no  basis  for  thinking  that  they  ceased  working  entirely. 

Jesus  hoped  to  inspire  these  men  with  the  ideals  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  and  to  unite  them  in  friendship  with  the 
Father.  As  He  would  win  them,  so  they  would  win  other 
men. 

"  One  would  be  glad  to  know  the  home  life,  the  religious 
outlook,  the  aspirations  and  enthusiasms  of  well-disposed 
young  Galileans  like  these  fish  packers."  i 

"And  they  followed  him,"  ... 

What  a  loss  the  world  would  have  suffered  if  they  had 
refused  His  invitation. 


Study  II.  Sixth  Day 

The  Authority  of  Jesus  as  a  Teacher  Astonishes  the 

People.     The  Question  of  Miracles.     Mark 

1:21-45;    Luke   4:31-44 

It  would  be  advisable  during  these  studies  to  familiarize 
yourself  with  the  geography  of  Palestine.  Capernaum  was  a 
busy  little  city  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  where  so  many  of  the 
disciples  lived,  and  where  Jesus  did  more  teaching  than  in 
any  other  place. 

The  usual  Sabbath  discourse  in  the  synagogue  consisted 
of  a  passage  from  the  law  or  the  prophets  and  its  inter- 
pretation by  quotations  from  the  famous  rabbis.  "  Rabbi 
Hillel   says   the  interpretation   of  this   passage   is   so   and   so. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 


The  Authority  of  Jesus  as  a   Teacher  21 

Rabbi  somebody-else  says  it  is  thus."  Jesus  however  faced 
them  and  said,  "  The  law  reads  thus,  but  /  say  unto  you  — " 
"  It  was,"  said  Joseph  H.  Odell,  "  as  if  some  untrained  laborer 
from  Tompkins  Corners  were  to  proclaim,  '  Yes,  the  Magna 
Charta,  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Congress  may 
all  agree  upon  that  point,  but  I  tell  you  they  are  wrong  and 
I  am  right ! '  "  i  Jesus  not  only  did  not  quote  the  rabbis  but 
even  seemed  to  be  attempting  to  supplant  the  law  itself  by 
a  message  of  His  own.  This  we  shall  see  clearly  when  we 
study  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,     Read  Mark   i  :  21-45. 

The  discussion  of  the  question  of  the  miracles  is  to  be 
found  in  Study  XV,  Second  Day.  The  writer  believes  that  the 
cases  of  demoniac  possession,  such  as  are  recorded  here,  were 
probably  cases  of  insanity  or  acute  melancholia  brought  on  at 
times  by  the  sufferer  attributing  his  moods  of  depression  to 
the  haunting  influences  of  evil  spirits.  Other  cases  resemble 
cases  of  epilepsy  which  are  frequently  seen  to-day.  These 
questions  will  be  discussed  later.  It  is  suggested  that  the 
course  be  followed  as  outlined,  and  that  the  miracles  be  dis- 
cussed in  the  order  indicated  above. 

"  Whatever  the  matter  with  the  man  was,"  in  Mark  i  :  23-28, 
says  Dean  Bosworth,  "  the  main  thing  is  that  Jesus  was  able 
at  once  to  bring  his  disordered  personality  into  quiet  ration- 
ality and  restore  him  to  home  and  society.  It  was  a  great 
day  for  this  nameless  man  and  his  friends."  ~ 

As  soon  as  the  Sabbath  was  ended,  at  sundown  Saturday 
evening,  v.  32,  the  crowds  thronged  the  house  where  Jesus 
was  staying.  His  ministry  was  not  to  be  primarily  one  of 
physical  relief  ;  therefore  He  leaves  for  other  villages  to  tell 
the  "  good  news,"  vv.  38-39. 

1  Joseph  H.  Odell.  Atlantic  Monthly.  February,  1918.  Used  by  per- 
mission  of  tbe  Atlantic   Monthly   Company.      Boston. 

2  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


22  Jesus  and  the  Yourig  Alan  of   To-day 

Study  II.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

Review  to-day  the  studies  for  this  week.  Remember  the 
writer  has  not  stated  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God.  The 
record  sa3^s,  that  years  ago  a  man  appeared  in  GaHlee  who 
beheved  that  dominating  this  universe  in  which  we  Hve  is 
a  God  who  is  our  Father.  He  also  beHeved  that  God  had 
chosen  Him,-  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  to  be  the  special  Son  of  God 
in  order  to  establish  the  Kingdom  of  the  Father  among  His 
children  on  earth.  This  realization  of  His  Sonship  and  mis- 
sion, the  record  says,  came  when  Jesus  was  baptized.  The 
plans  for  the  Kingdom  were  determined  at  the  temptation. 

Consider  to-day  these  questions : 

1.  Do  you  feel  as  if  God  has  a  plan  for  your  life,  and  that 
you  have  a  divine  mission  to  perform  in  this  world? 

2.  If  temptation  is  a  thought  or  a  suggestion  to  act  con- 
trary to  the  will  of  God,  do  you  think  these  were  real  tempta- 
tions through  which  Jesus  passed? 

3.  Some  one  has  said,  "  Sin  is  nothing  but  selfishness."  H 
so,  then  the  recent  war  will  compel  us  to  reclassify  the  saints 
and  the  sinners.  Many  "  lost  sheep,"  as  Donald  Hankey  called 
them,  threw  themselves  with  reckless  abandon  into  the  great 
conflict  and  with  utter  self-forgetfulness  gave  their  lives  on 
the  battlefield,  while  others  who  in  times  of  peace  would 
have  been  classed  with  the  saints  stayed  at  home  and  reaped 
exorbitant  profits  on  government  contracts. 

4.  Are  we  compromising  with  evil  in  order  to  gain  popu- 
larity? Are  we  gambling  with  the  crowd  in  order,  as  we  say, 
to  get  in  touch  with  such  men  to  help  them?  Are  we  only 
mildly  protesting  against  evil  in  athletic,  class,  or  fraternity 
life,  hoping  by  our  good  fellowship  to  better  conditions? 
Read  again  the  third  temptation  and  let  us  pray  God  this 
morning  to  cut  the  cowardice  out  of  our  hearts  and  give  us 
sufficient  manhood  to  stand  alone  in  the  right  against  the 
crowd  in  the  wrong. 

5.  To-day,  so-called  Christian  men  are  used  as  tools  by 
corrupt  politicians,  and  these  "  leading  citizens  "  excuse  their 


Review  23 

acceptance  of  public  office  under  such  grafting  machines  on 
the  ground  that  individually  they  do  no  wrong  and  that 
their  influence  within  the  party  is  beneficial.  In  view  of  the 
uncompromising  attitude  of  Jesus  toward  evil,  what  should 
these  men  do? 

6.  Should  a  Christian  lawyer  do  everything  in  his  power 
to  win  a  case  for  a  corrupt  client  whom  he  knows  to  be 
guilty? 

7.  Should  a  man  vote  for  a  candidate  for  offi'ce  who  is  not 
the  best  man,  because  the  voter  expects  some  personal  or 
community  gain  by  such  an  election?  Jesus  placed  doing  right 
before  every'  other  consideration. 

8.  Is  conscience,  in  its  generally  accepted  meaning,  a  judge 
of  right  and  wrong?  Doctor  Frank  Crane  says,  "Conscience 
is  a  sentiment.  As  hunger  warns  us  that  we  need  food,  as 
pain  warns  us  that  the  body  is  too  cold  or  too  hot  for  safety, 
so  conscience  is  the  natural  sensation  of  discomfort  that 
arises  when  we  are  conscious  of  doing  wrong."  "  The  Hindu 
mother  is  perfectly  conscientious  when  she  throws  her  child 
alive  into  the  Ganges  to  be  drowned  as  a  sacrifice  to  some 
heathen  god,  .  .  .  the  Puritan  felt  extremely  righteous  when 
he  burnt  the  alleged  witch,  .  .  .  and  Saint  Paul  himself  tells 
us  that  when  he  haled  Christians  to  prison  he  '  verily  thought 
he  was  doing  God's  service.' "  "  Conscience  is  simply  the 
moral  nerve.  ...  It  does  not  act  the  same  way  in  every 
person.  How  it  shall  act  depends  on  what  the  individual 
thinks  is  right.  Therefore  conscience  is  entirely  governed 
by  the  belief ;  that  is,  by  what  the  intelligence  says  is  right 
or  wrong.  .  .  .  The  simple  rule  of  life,  therefore  is.  first,  to 
realize  that  one's  first  duty  is  to  learn  the  truth,  to  love  the 
truth,  to  follow  it,  and  to  take  no  substitutes.  .  .  . 

"  Whosoever  puts  authority,  or  custom,  or  other  folks' 
opinions,  or  his  own  personal  comfort  or  advantage  in  the 
place  of  truth,  will  either  be  intolerant  or  immoral. 

"  Second,  the  only  way  to  find  truth  is  to  obey  as  much  of 
the  truth  as  you  already  know." 

Do  you  agree  with  the  above  statement? 

9.  How  can  we  overcome  temptation?  After  thinking  on 
this  question,  consider  these  suggestions.  First,  we  should 
cultivate  the  highest  ideals  by  reading  the  biographies  of  such 


24  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

men  as  "  Chinese  "  Gordon,  and  David  Livingstone ;  and  by 
daily  devotional  study  of  the  ideals  of  Him  who  hung  on  the 
cross  on  Calvary.  Secondly,  we'  should  cultivate  the  friend- 
ship of  strong  Christian  characters ;  especially  by  daily  com- 
munion with  the  strongest  Character  of  the  ages  whose  in- 
dwelling presence  we  should  cherish.  Thirdly,  we  should 
play  on  the  offensive.  The  best  way  to  keep  your  opponents 
from  scoring  is  to  score  yourself.  "  To  make  war,"  said 
Marshal  Foch,  "  is  to  attack."  In  other  words,  live  a  life  of 
aggressive  loving  service. 

10.  Sincere  Christian  rrien  who  have  suffered  physical  or 
pecuniary  loss  frequently  say,  "  I  don't  see  why  I  have  to 
suffer,  when  I  have  always  tried  to  do  right.  There's  Jones 
over  there  who  has  been  crooked  all  his  life  and  everything 
he  does  prospers."  What  light  does  the  first  temptation  throw 
upon  this  complaint? 


STUDY  III.    FIRST  DAY 
Jesus  Prays.     Mark  1:35-39;  Luke  5:16 

The  popularity  of  Jesus  increased  to  such -an  extent  that 
He  did  not  have  time  for  daily  communion  with  His  Father. 
When  the  work  of  the  day  was  over  and  sleep  had  fallen 
over  the  city,  "  before  the  stars  had  faded  out  of  the  sky 
above  the  lake,  He  stole  out  of  the  house  and  went  to  a  quiet 
spot  outside  of  the  city  to  pray."  1  Read  Mark  i :  35-39. 
What  did  Jesus  pray  about?  In  answering  this  question  let 
us  remember  that  Jesus  was  probably  as  lonely  as  any  man 
that  ever  lived.  A  missionary  pioneering  single-handed  in 
some  non-Christian  country  can  appreciate  this  loneliness  bet- 
ter than  we  who  live  in  a  Christian  land  surrounded  by  Chris- 
tian friends.  Apparently  no  one  on  earth  understood  what 
Jesus  was  trying  to  do.  Hence,  no  one  could  give  Him  any 
appreciative  sympathy.  His  disciples  did  not  understand  the 
significance  of  His  life  until  after  the  resurrection.  In  Mark 
8:  17  His  words  seem  spoken  with  a  sorrowful  impatience, 
**  Do  ye  not  yet  perceive,  neither  understand?  have  ye  your 
heart  hardened  ?  " 

To  have  to  carry  a  great  burden  through  life  without  know- 
ing one  sympathetic,  understanding  heart  would  be  a  terribly 
severe  trial.  Perhaps  in  these  all-night  vigils,  then,  the  prayer 
of  Jesus  consisted  not  so  much  in  petition  for  Himself,  or  in 
intercession  for  others  as  in  communion  with  God.  He 
needed  the  companionship  of  His  Father.  He  wanted  the 
sympathy  and  strength  which  came  from  close  friendship 
with  the  great  understanding  heart  of  God. 

We  have  not  the  space  to  take  up  the  question  of  prayer  in 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the   Association  Press.     New  York, 

25 


26  Jesus  and  the    Young  Man   of   To-day 

these  studies.  That  has  been  ably  done  in  other  books. ^ 
There  is  probably  no  question  less  understood  than  the  real 
nature  of  prayer.  A  common  idea  is  that  prayer  changes 
the  attitude  of  God  toward  us,  and  that  as  a  result  of  our 
prayer  Me  does  what  He  otherwise  would  not  do.  In  fact, 
prayer  only  changes  our  attitude  toward  God  and  makes  it 
possible  for  Him  to  accomplish  in  us  what  He  otherwise 
could  not  accomplish. 

"  Probably  some  of  the  servants  saw  which  way  Jesus  went 
.  .  .  [when  He  left  the  house]  .  .  .  for  Peter,  in  whose  home 
He  slept  (v.  29),  soon  found  Him."  2  To  the  surprise  of  the 
disciples  Jesus  did  not  intend  to  go  back  to  Capernaum,  but 
had  planned  a  tour  of  preaching  throughout  Galilee,  the  rea- 
son for  which  was  noted  yesterday. 


Study  III.  Second  Day 

Jesus  Offends  the  Scribes  by  Assuming  the 

Authority  to  Forgive  Sins.     Mark  2 :  i- 

12;  Matt.  9:2-8;  Luke  5:17-26 

Jesus  had  now  reached  the  height  of  His  popularity.  Mark 
I  :  45  states  that  "  they  came  to  him  from  every  quarter." 
In  Mark  2:  1-12,  which  should  be  read  at  this  time,  a  note 
of  discord  is  heard. 

The  inner  court,  where  Jesus  was  teaching,  probably  had  a 
skin  or  cloth  covering  of  some  kind  for  protection  against 
the  hot  rays  of  the  sun.  It  was  this  "  roof  "  which  the  friends 
of  the  sick  man  uncovered.  Try  to  picture  this  scene.  The 
intense  interest  of  the  crowd  and  the  eager  anticipation  of 
the  trembling  sick  man  as  he  lay  before  the  popular  healer, 
must  have  produced  a  striking  background  for  the  words  of 
Jesus. 

It   was   commonly  supposed  at  that  time  that  disease  was 

1  Read  that  excellent  little  book  by  H.  E.  Fosdick,  the  Meaning  of 
Prayer.     The  Association    Press. 

2  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New    York. 


Jesus  Eats  with   Publicans  and  Sinners  27 

caused  by  sin.  Jesus  said,  first  of  all,  "  Son,  thy  sins  are  for- 
given." He  did  not  intend  this  to  mean  merely,  " '  If  you 
have  repented,  I  am  sure  God  has  forgiven  your  sins.'  Any 
one  could  have  told  the  man  that.  Jesus  assumed  to  be  able 
to  look  down  into  the  man's  heart  and  to  see  w^hether  he  had 
repented."  ^  The  scribes  questioned  this  statement,  and  it  is 
of  little  wonder  they  did.  It  was  an  assumption  of  Messianic 
authority. 

Realizing  their  thoughts,  Jesus  came  forth  with  a  statement, 
framed  in  figurative  language,  which  confirmed  in  their  minds 
the  growing  suspicion  that  this  man  was  a  Messianic  im- 
postor. The  title  "  Son  of  Man  "  is  used  here  for  the  first 
time.  It  seems  improbable  that  Jesus  used  this  well-known 
Messianic  title  so  early  in  His  ministry.  The  whole  trend 
of  the  gospel  indicates  that  He  purposely  concealed  His  belief 
in  His  divine  mission  until  after  the  momentous  conversation 
with  the  disciples  in  Mark  8 :  27. 

A  discussion  of  the  miracles  is  found  in  a  later  study. 
Note  that  in  this  case,  Jesus  "so  wrought  upon  the  man,  mind 
and  body,  that  the  man  willed  to  rise  and  did  rise,  .  .  .  and 
make  his  way  through  the  marveling  crowds  to  the  street  out- 
side, where  his  four  friends  had  doubtless  hurried  down  from 
the  house-top  to  meet  him."  1 


Study  III.  Third  Day 

Jesus  Eats  with  Publicans  and  Sinners.     Mark 
2:13-17;  Matt.  9:9-13;  Luke  5:27-32 

Instead  of  pacifying  these  ofifended  scribes,  Jesus  further 
ofi^ended  them  by  calling  a  publican  to  be  one  of  His  disciples 
and  by  eating  with  publicans  and  sinners  in  the  home  of  His 
newly-chosen  follower. 

Read  Mark  2:  13-17.  These  men  were  not  sinners  in  the 
same  sense  that  we  use  the  word  to-day.  "  Sinners  "  did  not 
mean  men  who  had  committed  sin  but  men  who  had  given  up 
the  sham  religion  of  the  nation  and  "  no  longer  cared  to  attend 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used   by   permission   of   the   Association    Press.      New    York, 


28  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

the  synagogue  services  or  to  please  the  rabbis,"  i  The  pub- 
licans were  tax  collectors,  and  as  such  were  especially  hated. 
Taxes  were  farmed  out  and  extortion  was  generally  practiced. 
For  one  of  their  own  people  to  make  money  "  out  of  the  po- 
litical humiliation  of  their  nation  by  collecting  taxes  imposed 
by  the  Roman  authorities  or  the  Herods,"  ^  was  especially 
trying  to  a  patriotic  Jew.  The  Pharisees  were  strict  ob- 
servers of  the  law  and  did  not  associate  with  any  irreli- 
gious people.  Their  contempt  for  the  publicans  and  sinners 
was  very  great.  "  The  rabbis  were  particularly  unwilling  to 
eat  at  a  publican's  or  sinner's  table,  for  these  classes  were 
certain  to  disregard  food  laws  about  which  the  rabbi  was 
scrupulously  particular.  It  was  therefore  a  scandalous  thing, 
from  the  rabbis'  standpoint,  when  a  prophet  actually  invited 
a  publican  to  associate  intimately  with  him  as  a  member  of 
the  inner  circle  of  his  disciples,"  ^  and  allow  himself  to  be 
the  guest  of  honor  at  a  dinner  party  given  in  the  home  of 
such  a  man. 

In  doing  this,  Jesus  disregarded  the  false  standards  by 
which  men  were  classified  in  His  time.  He  chose  His  friends 
by  what  they  were  in  themselves.  He  classified  men  by  char- 
acter, not  by  family,  wealth,  or  public  reputation. 

Read  again  v.  17  and  notice  the  method  of  Jesus  in  deal- 
ing with  the  self-satisfied.  What  irony  is  expressed  in  the 
clear  statement  of  Jesus  of  His  mission  on  earth.  The  state- 
ment may  be  paraphrased  thus.  **  You  religious  leaders  have 
perfectly  sound  religious  bodies?  Very  well,  then,  I  have 
no  message  for  you.  I  came  to  these  so-called  sinners  who 
realizing  their  shortcomings  are  sincerely  open-minded  to  the 
truth." 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


Jesus  and  His  Disciples  Do  Not  Fast  29 

Study  III.  Fourth  Day 

Jesus  and  His  Disciples  Do  Not  Fast.     Mark 
2:18-22;  Matt.  9:14-17;  Luke  5:33-39 

As  time  passed,  the  conduct  of  Jesus  became  more  and 
more  irritating  to  the  religious  Pharisees.  To  them,  religion 
was  almost  entirely  summed  up  in  the  strict  observance  of 
religious  ritual.  To  Jesus,  ritual  was  the  husk  of  religion, 
necessary,  no  doubt,  to  the  proper  fruition  of  religious  faith 
but  assuredly  not  the  kernel  of  it.  Religious  observances 
should  be  the  outward  expression  of  an  inward  reality  and 
should  be  used  for  the  cultivation  of  the  inner  life. 

The  third  point  in  which  Jesus  offended  the  rabbis  was  His 
scandalous   laxity   regarding   fasting.     Read   Mark   2:18-22. 

The  "  sons  or  companions  of  the  bridegroom  "  correspond 
to  the  modern  best  man  and  ushers,  who  see  to  it  that  every 
one  has  a  jolly  time  at  the  wedding,  and  that  the  occasion 
is  a  gala  one. 

In  this  first  illustration,  Jesus  alludes  for  the  first  time  to 
the  inevitable  end  awaiting  such  a  course  as  He  is  now  pur- 
suing. He  realized  perhaps  thus  early  in  His  ministry  that 
His  life  would  be  crushed  out  by  these  religious  leaders.  Yet 
He  went  forward  with  supreme  confidence  in  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  His  cause. 

The  second  illustration  is  that  of  an  unshrunken  piece  of 
cloth  used  to  patch  an  old  garment.  When  the  garment  is 
washed  again,  the  patch  shrinks,  and  "  a  worse  rent  is  made." 

The  third  illustration  is  that  of  the  new  wine  and  the  old 
wine  skins.  "  The  skins  of  animals  were  used  for  holding 
wine.  .  .  .  The  fresh  skins  would  stretch  enough  to  accommo- 
date themselves  to  the  fermentation  of  the  new  wine,  while 
the  old  skins,  already  stretched,  would  burst  when  the  fer- 
mentation of  the  new  wine  began."  ^ 

In  the  second  illustration  the  old  garment  is  torn,  in  the 
third  illustration  the  nezv  wine  is  lost. 

Jesus  realized  that  He  could  not  patch  up  the  old  religious 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New  York. 


30  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

conceptions  with  His  ideas  of  the  Kingdom  or  vitaHze  the 
old  forms  by  an  infusion  of  His  life.  Not  only  would  the 
old  system  be  torn  but  the  new  would  also  be  lost. 

"  While  the  meaning  of  these  illustrations  was  ambiguous, 
their  possible  significance  must  have  seemed  to  the  rabbis 
very  startling."  ^ 


Study  III.  Fifth  Day 

Jesus  Is  Lax  in  Observing  the  Sabbath.     Mark 
2:23-28;  Matt.  12:1-8;  Luke  6:1-5 

"  The  point  at  which  the  rabbi  was  most  sensitive  was 
Sabbath  observance.  He  had  wrought  out  the  simple  Sabbath 
law  of  the  Mosaic  legislation  into  innumerable  and  sometimes 
absurd  details.  Tailors  must  not  carry  needles  on  their  coats 
late  Friday  afternoon  lest  the  sun  should  set  before  they 
noticed  it  and  they  be  carrying  burdens  on  the  Sabbath  ;  the 
physician  might  take  measures  to  prevent  a  serious  disease 
from  growing  worse  on  the  Sabbath,  but  must  not  try  to  cure 
it;  minor  ailments  might  not  be  treated  at  all.  The  rabbis 
went  so  far  as  to  say  that  God  had  created  man  for  the  sake 
of  His  Sabbath  law,  that  is,  in  order  to  have  some  one  to  obey 
His  Sabbath  law."  1 

Jesus  showed  a  disregard  for  this,  which  to  the  mind  of  the 
rabbis,  was  the  most  important  of  all  the  laws  of  God.  His 
disciples  plucked  a  few  heads  of  wheat  as  they  traveled  along 
the  road  and  rubbing  them  in  their  hands  to  remove  the  dried 
husks,  ate  the  kernels  of  wheat.  That  was  working  on 
Sunday.     Read  Mark  2  :  23-28. 

Jesus  reverses  their  ideas  of  the  Sabbath.  Sabbath  laws 
and  ritual  observances.  He  said,  were  made  for  the  benefit  of 
man,  not  to  add  to  his  burdens.  David  disregarded  the  laws 
of  the  place  of  worship,  for  his  life  and  the  life  of  his  compan- 
ions were  of  more  value  than  any  tabernacle  rules  or  religious 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


Determination  to  Destroy  Jesus  31 

laws.  Then  again  came  that  underlying  implication  that  so 
nettled  the  rahbis,  that  Jesus  seemed  to  be  assuming  equal 
authority  with  David.  P^e  closed  the  discussion  with  the 
statement  "  that  the  Son  of  man  is  lord  even  of  the  sab- 
bath." 

To-day  the  Sabbath  is  a  burden  to  many  well-intentioned 
people.  It  is  a  day  of  solemn,  inactive  brooding,  not  a  day 
of  io3'Ous  religious  expression. 

"How  would  you  modify  this  statement:  The  Sabbath 
should  be  spent  in  sucli  a  way  as  to  bring  us  to  Monday 
morning  with  a  clearer  and  happier  sense  of  God  and  duty?  "  ^ 


Study  III.  Sixth  Day 

The  Determination  of  the  Religious  Leaders  to 

Destroy  Jesus.     Marl^  3 :  1-6 ;  Matt. 

12:9-14;  Luke  6:6-11 

"  The  increasingly  bitter  feeling  against  Jesus  came  to  a 
crisis  in  an  episode  that  brought  distinctly  to  light  His  atti- 
tude towards  the  Sabbath  law.  Read  Mark  3 :  1-6.  Does 
the  paragraph  read  as  though  the  man  had  been  brought  into 
the  synagogue  to  see  whether  or  not  Jesus  would  heal  him? 
Whether  this  is  so  or  not,  evidently  the  rabbis  knew  that  the 
man  would  be  there  and  hoped  that  Jesus  would  heal  him  so 
that  they  might  make  a  test  case  of  it.  '  Accuse,'  in  v,  2  indi- 
cates the  lodgment  of  a  formal  charge  of  Sabbath-breaking 
against  Him  before  the  local  authorities.  Jesus  met  them 
boldly,  with  no  effort  to  evade  them."  ^  Blazing  with  indig- 
nation at  the  cunning,  selfish  hypocrisy  of  these  priests,  Jesus 
tells  the  man  to  stand  forth,  and  the  withered  hand  is  healed. 
The  indignation  of  Jesus  was  aroused  when  He  realized  that 
the  hearts  of  these  priests  were  filled  with  selfish  hatred 
toward  Him  and  that  they,  on  the  Sabbath,  were  planning 
to  kill  Him  for  doing  a  kindly  deed. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of   the  Association   Press.     New   York. 


32  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

As  to  the  cure,  see  study  on  Miracles.  The  point  to  be 
noted  now  is  that  the  climax  of  the  bitter  opposition  to  Jesus 
was  reached  when  He  disregarded  the  Jewish  idea  of  Sabbath 
observance  and  did  a  positive  act  of  mercy  on  the  seventh 
day. 

It  is  the  love  and  kindness  we  have  in  our  hearts  toward 
our  wife,  father,  mother,  and  friends  that  God  looks  for  and 
not  whether  we  read  a  newspaper  or  whistle  on  Sunday. 

"  The  Christian  church  has  probably  concerned  itself  too 
exclusively  with  the  negative  side  of  Sabbath  observance. 
It  has  concentrated  attention  upon  what  men  ought  not  to  do, 
rather  than  upon  what  they  ought  to  do.  Jesus  emphasizes 
the  positive  side.     They  ought  to  do  good."  ^ 


Study  III.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

Years  ago,  a  man  appeared  in  a  small  country  east  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea  with  the  belief  that  He  had  been  chosen 
to  establish  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  the  earth.  He  became 
exceedingly  popular  with  the  masses  but  soon  offended  the 
religious  leaders  of  the  time  by  professing  to  forgive  sins, 
by  associating  with  non-church-going  men,  and  tax  collectors, 
by  disregarding  religious  ceremonies,  and  by  undermining 
their  idea  of  the  Sabbath.  This  opposition  grew  so  strong 
that  the  religious  authorities  determined  in  some  way  to  kill 
this  man.     His  name  was  Jesus. 

Consider  the  following  questions  to-day : 

I.  What  is  your  idea  of  prayer?  Do  you  look  upon  prayer 
as  a  means  of  getting  things  or  as  a  means  of  strengthening 
your  character?  Do  you  pray  "give  me,"  or  "make  me"? 
We  should  pray  to  God  to  help  us  form  our  ideals  in  accord- 
ance with  His  will,  to  strengthen  our  characters,  to  help  us 
keep  our  bodies  clean  and  strong,  and  to  inspire  us  with  the 
willingness  of  Jesus  to  die  for  the  right. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the  Association   Press,     New   York, 


Review  33 

2.  Why  did  Jesus  not  go  back  to  Capernaum  to  heal  more 
people  ? 

3.  What  did  Jesus  say  which  offended  the  rabbis,  in  Mark 
2 :  1-12? 

4.  May  any  objection  be  raised  to  the  attitude  of  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees?     Was  their  question  a  reasonable  one? 

5.  In  2:  15-17,  Jesus  disregarded  the  social  customs  of  His 
time.  Without  hesitation,  He  ate  with  these  men  because 
He  saw  their  open-mindedness  to  truth  and  their  sincerity  in 
following  the  light  they  had.  He  judged  men  by  what  they 
were  in  themselves  or  were  capable  of  becoming, 

"  A  picture  or  bust  of  Abraham  Lincoln  adorns  the  halls 
of  many  colleges  in  this  country.  Yet  if  Lincoln  matriculated 
as  a  student  in  many  of  these  colleges  to-day,  he  would  not 
be  admitted  to  any  of  the  social  clubs  or  fraternities,  because 
of  his  uncouth  dress  and  manners."  Do  you  judge  men  by 
their  use  of  knife  and  fork,  by  the  color  of  their  skin,  by 
their  social  standing,  by  their  miHtary  rank,  by  their  ancestry, 
by  their  wealth,  or  do  you  judge  them,  as  Jesus  did,  by  the 
standard  of  character,  by  their  real  worth  as  men? 

It  is  reported  that  Booker  T.  Washington,  a  negro,  dined 
at  the  White  House  as  a  guest  of  President  Roosevelt.  Did 
Roosevelt  do  right  according  to  Mark  2:15-17?  Only  five 
minutes  allowed  for  the  discussion  of  this  question. 

6.  Were  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  "whole  and  righteous"? 
Look  again  at  the  method  of  Jesus  of  dealing  with  self- 
satisfied  men  and  you  will  not  waste  much  time  in  arguing 
with  men  or  students  who  are  secure  in  their  own  righteous 
self-conceit.  Let  contact  with  these  men  develop  in  you  the 
virtue  of  tolerance  and  patience. 

7.  "  Righteousness,"  says  Wendt,  "  is  not  only  the  idea  of 
legality,  equity,  impartiality  in  judgment  and  retribution  .  .  . 
but  ...  as  applied  to  men  .  .  .  specially  denotes  a  disposi- 
tion for  action  which  takes  the  will  of  God  as  its  supreme 
norm."  1  Many  men  to-day  pride  themselves  upon  paying 
their  debts  and  being  truthful,  whose  lives  are  thoroughly 
selfish,  and  who  would  not  follow  the  will  of  God  should  it 
necessitate  personal  sacrifice  of  any  kind. 

1  The  Teaching  of  Jesus.  H.  H.  Wendt.  Used  by  permission  of 
the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New  York. 


34  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

8.  In  2:  18-28,  Jesus  states  that  religious  observances  are  not 
an  end  in  themselves,  but  that  their  value  is  determined  by 
their  worth  in  producing  better  lives.  First  in  importance 
stand  the  eternal  principles  of  righteousness  for  v^hich  even 
life  itself  must  be  sacrificed.  Next  stands  the  indiyidual  life, 
in  the  development  of  which,  rules,  customs,  and  ceremonies 
are  intended  to  aid  but  not  to  burden.  They  are  to  be  swept 
away  the  moment  they  cease  to  enrich  life.  They  must  meet 
the  test  of  service. 

9.  Upon  what  principle  did  David  and  the  high  priest  act? 

10.  What  is  your  idea  of  properly  keeping  the  Sabbath? 
Is  the  Sabbath  for  recreation,  rest,  pleasure,  worship,  or  a 
mixture  of  all  of  these? 

11.  Could  it  be  right  for  one  man  to  play  baseball  on  Sunday 
and  wrong  for  another? 

12.  What  was  the  fundamental  difference  between  the  con- 
ception of  Jesus  of  religion  and  that  of  the  rabbis? 


STUDY  IV.    FIRST  DAY 

Choosing  the  Twelve  Disciples.     Mark  3:  13-19; 

Luke  6:  12-19 

Read  Mark  3  :  7-12  reserving  until  a  later  study  any  discus- 
sion of  the  miracles  recorded.  When  Jesus  realized  that  the 
rabbis  had  determined  to  destroy  Him  (Mark  3:6),  He  chose 
twelve  men  from  among  His  followers  in  order  that  He  might 
concentrate  His  work  upon  them. 

Many  of  these  disciples  never  appear  prominently  in  the 
gospel  history.  Peter,  the  impetuous,  sturdy  leader,  rapidly 
assumed  a  dominant  position  and  became  the  spokesman  of 
the  group.  After  the  death  of  Jesus,  he  became  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  early  church,  and  tradition  has  him  as  the  first 
Pope  of  Rome.  James  and  John,  called  "  sons  of  thunder," 
perhaps  on  account  of  their  fiery  temperaments,  with  Peter, 
formed  an  inner  circle  of  the  twelve  upon  whom  Jesus  relied 
more  than  upon  any  of  the  others  for  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  His  cause.  It  was  these  three  only  who  were  with  Jesus 
at  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane, 
and  on  other  special  occasions.  Matthew  was  a  tax  collector 
whose  presence  must  have  been  irritating  to  the  Jewish  rab- 
bis, who  so  intensely  hated  a  publican.  Andrew,  Philip,  and 
Thomas  are  mentioned  in  the  Gospel  of  John,  but  we  know 
very  little  about  them.  Judas  Iscariot,  the  notorious  traitor, 
is  the  only  one  of  the  twelve  who  is  said  not  to  have  been  a. 
Galilean. 

Hundreds  of  men  have  lived  who  were  equal  to  these  twelve 
disciples.  They  became  known  to  history  only  by  following 
the  leadership  of  a  great  man  and  by  throwing  their  lives 
into  a  great  cause.  It  is  not  our  abilities  that  determine  our 
worth  to  the  world  as  much  as  the  nobility  of  the  cause  to 
which  we  dedicate  ourselves. 

35 


36  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of  To-day 

Jesus  saw  in  these  men  sincere  open-mindedness  and  great 
possibilities  for  good.  He  believed  that,  although  their  crude 
conceptions  of  the  reason  of  His  call  would  be  shattered  by 
His  death,  ultimately  they  would  catch  the  vision  and  give  His 
message  to  the  world. 

The  choosing  of  twelve  men  must  have  further  aroused 
the  suspicions  of  the  rabbis,  as  it  must  have  looked  to  them 
like  the  revival  of  the  old  idea  of  the  twelve  tribes. 


Study  IV.  Second  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.     Matt.  5-7.     The 

Beatitudes,     i.  Open-Mindedness. 

2.  Repentance 

"Matthew,  who  records  far  more  of  Jesus'  teaching  than 
does  Mark,  evidently  felt  that  in  the  beginning  of  his  Gospel 
there  should  stand  some  formal  report  of  Jesus'  principal 
teachings."  ^  We  will  now  study  chapters  5-7  in  Matthew, 
commonly  called  the  "  Sermon  on  the  Mount." 

This  collection  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus  has  been  given 
various  titles,  such  as  the  Constitution  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  the  Principles  of  the  Kingdom  set  forth  in  Contrast 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  Times,  the  Ideal  Life.  The  outline  of 
Professor  Votaw  is  perhaps  as  brief  and  as  good  as  any, 
and  we  will  give  it  here  in  order  that  it  may  be  used  for 
reference  later : 

Theme :  The  Ideal  Life :  Its  Characteristics,  Mission,  and 
Outworkings,  and  the   Duty  of  Attaining  It. 

A.  The  ideal  life  described.     Matt.  5:  1-16;  Luke  6:20-26. 

a.  Its   characteristics.     Matt.   5:1-12;    Luke   6:20-26. 

b.  Its  mission.     Matt.  5  :  13-16. 

B.  Its  relation  to  the  earlier  Hebrew  ideal.     Matt.  5  :  17-20. 

C.  The  outworkings   of   the   ideal  life.     Matt.  5:21-7:12; 

Luke  6 :  27-42. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 


The  Ser/nofi  on  the  Mount  37 

a.  In  deeds  and  motives.     Matt.  5:21-48;  Luke  6:27- 

30,  32-36. 

b.  In  real  religious  worship.     Matt.  6:1-18. 

c.  In  trust  and  self-devotion.     Matt.  6:  19-34. 

d.  In  treatment  of  others.     Matt.  7:  1-12;  Luke  6:31, 

37-42. 

D.     The  duty  of  living  the  ideal  life.     Matt.  7:  13-27;  Luke 
6 :  43-49-^ 

Let  us  now  study  the  text  in  detail.  Read  Matthew  5  :  3-12, 
These  verses  are  commonly  called  the  Beatitudes,  from  the 
Latin  word  "  beati,"  with  which  each  verse  opens  in  the 
Vulgate.     Many  translate  "  blessed  "  as  "  happy." 

"Happy"  or  "blessed,"  then,  said  Jesus,  "are  the  poor  in 
spirit."  It  was  among  the  poor  of  His  day  that  Jesus  fre- 
quently found  the  most  open-minded  reception  of  truth. 
Wealth,  position,  or  selHshness  had  not  so  much  clouded  their 
vision  or  warped  their  judgment.  The  "poor  in  spirit,"  then, 
are  "  those  who  in  their  spirits  feel  like  poor  men "  2  and 
realize  "  their  spiritual  deficiency  and  dependence  upon  God," 
and  are  humble,  teachable,  and  open-minded  to  the  truth, 
"  This  quality  of  humble  teachableness  is  fitly  placed  first  in 
this  sketch  of  the  ideal  life,  for  it  is  the  first  essential  of  all 
growth  into  better  things.  It  is  the  door  of  entrance  to  the 
kingdom  of  science,  as  well  as  to  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven."  ^ 

Read  ]Matthew  5 : 4.  Jesus  here  thought  of  those  who 
mourned  for  the  sin  of  Israel,  as  in  Isaiah  61  :  1-3,  and  ap- 
plied the  thought  to  the  individual.  "  By  those  that  mourn, 
Jesus  means  those  who  sorrow  for  their  sins,  who  are  con- 
scious of  their  defects,  and  lament  them,  who  are  genuinely 
repentant."  ^  But  consider  the  verse  in  its  customary  mean- 
ing. Sorrow  comes  into  every  life,  but  to  those  whose  lives 
are  joined  in  friendship  with  the  Father  sorrow  is  a  blessing 

1  Votaw,  art.  Sermon  on  Mount,  in  Hastings  Dictionary  of  the  Bible, 
extra  volume,  p.  14.  Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles  Scribner's 
Sons.      New   York. 

2  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.      Used   by   permission   of   the   Association   Press.      New   York. 

3  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  H.  C.  King.  Copyrighted  1910.  Used  by 
permission   of  the  Macmillan   Company.     New  York. 


38  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

and  not  a  curse,  for  it  deepens  our  sense  of  the  presence  of 
God  and  draws  our  friends  in  the  Kingdom  closer  to  us. 
Those  who  mourn,  says  Dean  Bosworth,  "  will  not  be  com- 
forted by  God  alone,  but  by  other  members  with  the  sympa- 
thy that  is  to  characterize  the  New  Order.  The  sympathies 
of  men  in  the  New  Order  will  be  so  strong  and  true  that  the 
sorrow  which  gives  opportunity  for  their  expression  is  a 
blessing."  1 


Study  IV.  Third  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  5: 

5-6.     The  Beatitudes.     3.  Self-Control.     4. 

Aspiration  the  Test  of  Character 

Smith,  Jones,  Brown,  and  others  lived  together  in  a  college 
fraternity  house.  By  the  neglect  of  the  others,  the  task  of 
looking  after  the  house  fell  to  Smith.  He  not  only  paid  his 
room  rent  but  also  supervised  the  cleaning,  watched  the  fires, 
and  paid  the  bills.  Jones,  on  the  other  hand,  did  little  in 
the  care  of  the  house  and  his  room  rent  was  frequently  in 
arrears.  One  Sunday,  the  servant  did  not  come.  Smith 
asked  Jones  to  get  five  cents'  worth  of  kindling  wood  from  a 
store  close  at  hand  so  that  the  fire  could  be  made.  Jones  got 
wood  which  was  unsuitable  for  the  purpose.  When  he  en- 
tered the  basement,  Smith,  in  an  uncomplaining  manner,  said, 
"What  did  you  get  that  kind  for?"  Jones  threw  the  wood 
on  the  floor  and  in  angry  tones  said,  "  If  you  don't  like  that 
kind,  go  get  it  yourself."  A  majority  of  men  would  have 
l>een  tempted  to  break  a  stick  of  wood  over  the  head  of 
Jojies.  Instead  of  angrily  retorting,  Smith  looked  at  Jones 
with  an  expression  of  pity,  and,  without  saying  a  word,  went 
to  the  store  and  bought  the  kind  of  wood  needed.  That  was 
meekness.  The  word  **  meekness  "  may  be  translated  "  good 
manners  "  as  illustrated  above. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  meekest  men  In  American  public  life 
was    Abraham    Lincoln.     Soon    after    he    became    president, 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 


The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  y) 

Secretary  Seward  wrote  him  a  long  letter  telling  him  how  to 
conduct  himself  as  president.  Secretary  Chase  showed  his 
disgust  and  disdain  of  the  uncouth  ways  of  the  President. 
Secretary  Stanton  told  a  delegation  which  presented  a  peti- 
tion to  him  adding  that  it  had  the  indorsement  of  the  Presi- 
dent,   that    then    the    President    was    a    d fool.     Instead 

of  sending  for  General  McClellan  to  come  to  the  White 
House,  Lincoln  frequently  called  at  the  headquarters  of  Mc- 
Clellan, only  to  be  kept  waiting  as  an  ordinary  caller  before 
McClellan  would  see  him.  Calling  one  evening  when  the 
General  was  out,  Lincoln  waited  an  hour  for  him.  When  Mc- 
Clellan returned  and  was  told  that  the  President  wished  to 
see  him,  he  went  directly  upstairs  and  retired  for  the  night. 
To  all  these  insults  and  indignities,  Lincoln  paid  no  atten- 
tion, and  harbored  no  resentment.  "  Never  mind,"  he  said, 
"  I  will  hold  McClellan's  horse,  if  he  will  only  bring  us 
success."  The  advice  of  Lincoln  to  a  young  officer  who 
had  been  court-martialed  for  quarreling  was,  "  No  man,  re- 
solved to  make  the  most  of  himself,  can  spare  time  for  per- 
sonal contention.  Still  less  can  he  afford  to  take  all  the 
consequences,  including  the  vitiating  of  his  temper  and  the 
loss  of  self-control.  Yield  larger  things  to  which  you  can 
show  no  more  than  equal  right ;  and  yield  lesser  ones,  though 
clearly  your  own.  Better  give  your  path  to  a  dog  than  be 
bitten-  by  him  in  contesting  for  the  right.  Even  killing  the 
dog  would  not  cure  the  bite." 

"  Meekness  is,  thus,  self-control  at  its  highest  power.  .  .  . 
It  is  no  milk  and  water  virtue,  and  still  less  a  superfluous 
virtue.  It  is  a  root-virtue,  and  essential  to  the  strong  man. 
The  meek  are  set  over  against  those  who  are  perpetually 
jealous  of  their  rights,  and  as  persistently  claiming  every- 
thing for  themselves, —  those  of  brazen  assurance.  As  con- 
trasted with  these,  the  meek  do  not  press  even  their  plain 
rights ;  but  under  the  provocation  of  the  invasion  of  their 
rights,  maintain  their  self-control,  and  bear  and  forbear,  '  en- 
during all  things.'  "  ^  These  people,  said  Jesus,  "  shall  inherit 
the  earth,"  because  the  meek  man  "escaping  the  feeling  of 
being  constantly  slighted  and  offended,  does  not  feel  that 
everything  is  due  him,  so  he  is  content  and  cheerful,  where 

1  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  H.  C.  King.  Copyrighted  1910.  Used  by 
permission   of  the  Macmillan   Company.     New  York. 


40  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

pride  and  assumption  would  be  only  miserable.  .  .  .  These 
people  are  able  also  to  enter  into  the  joy  of  others,  and  so  to 
share  in  a  very  real  sense  in  all  joy.  They  own  the  world, 
as  only  such  spirits  can."  f 

Read  Matthew  5  :  6.  Most  of  us  do  not  really  want  to  be 
clean,  true,  and  loving.  Our  expressed  wishes  are  high- 
sounding  and  our  prayers  would  indicate  lofty  aspirations, 
but  our  inmost  desires  are  not  actually  in  accord  with  our 
outward  expressions.  We  desire  the  rewards  of  righteous- 
ness without  paying  the  price  of  incorporating  righteousness 
in  our  lives.  But  happy  are  those,  said  Jesus,  "  who  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness :  for  they  shall  be  filled." 
This  implies,  then,  a  persistent  eagerness  and  an  earnest  fight 
for  the  highest  character. 


Study  IV.  Fourth  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).  Matt.  5: 
7-12;  Luke  6:20-26.  The  Beatitudes.  5. 
Sympathy.  6.  Purity.  7.  Promoting  Love 
Among  Men.     8.  Sacrificing  for  Men 

Read  Matthew  5:7.  Mercy  is  not  a  soft,  efifeminate. virtue 
but  a  trait  of  the  strong.  Mercy  means  sympathy,  courtesy, 
and  kindness.  Only  those  who  have  been  severely  tempted 
and  have  triumphed  can  really  sympathize  with  tempted  men. 
Only  those  who  have  drunk  the  cup  of  sorrow  to  the  dregs, 
and  have  had  their  natures  deepened  thereby,  can  truly  sym- 
pathize with  the  sorrow-laden. 

Sympathy  or  mercy  implies  understanding.  It  is  the  strong 
character  who  has  struggled  with  the  problems  and  tempta- 
tions of  life  and  has  overcome  them  that  can  truly  show  sym- 
pathy to  those  who  fall  by  the  wayside. 

"  Happy,"  then,  said  Jesus,  "  are  the  hard,  domineering, 
tyrannical  people?"  No.  But  the  merciful,  for  they  shall 
receive  mercy  as   they  have  given  it. 

1  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  H.  C.  King.  Copyrighted  1910,  Used  by 
permission  of  the.  Macmillan   Company.     New  York, 


The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  41 

Read  Matthew  5  :  8.  The  man  who  indulges  in  or  broods 
over  impurity,  said  Jesus,  loses  his  vision  of  God.  For  in 
just  the  proportion  as  our  inward  lives  are  pure  will  our  vision 
of  God  be  clarified.  But  purity  is  not  only  personal,  it  im- 
plies a  reverence  for  the  sacredness  of  others.  "  No  love  is  a 
pure  love  that  lacks  some  real  reverence  —  to  which  the  one 
loved  is  not  really  sacred.  And  a  pure  love  becomes,  for  this 
very  reason,  the  strongest  of  all  human  motives  to  self-con- 
trol. The  pure  in  heart  recognize  the  child  of  God  in  every 
soul,  and  treat  him,  accordingly,  not  as  a  thing  but  as  a  holy 
person."  1 

Read  Matthew  5:9.  "  The  peacemaker  is  more  than  a 
peace-keeper.  He  belongs  to  that  high  order  of  men  who 
are  able  to  be  reconcilers  of  their  fellowmen,  who  actively 
promote  peace  among  men,  who  enter  into  God's  own  work 
of  bringing  men  into  unity.  They  are  set  over  against  those 
who  stir  up  strife  and  promote  war,  whether  in  large  or  small 
ways.  They  have  no  part  in  the  activity  of  those  of  whom 
the  Proverbs  speak  so  contemptuously, —  the  whisperer,  the 
meddler,  the  tale-bearer,  the  busybody,  the  tattler,  and  the 
mischief-maker.  The  peacemaker  not  only  withstands  hate, 
but  positively  promotes  the  reign  of  love  among  men."  ^  He 
does  not  catch  at  every  piece  of  dirty  gossip  and  continually 
repeat  it.  He  tries  to  correct  the  evil  and  reconcile  the  dif- 
ferences between  men. 

Read  Matthew  5 :  10-12.  Happy,  did  Jesus  say,  are  the 
men  who  inherit  wealth,  who  have  an  easy  life,  who  can 
walk  a  fence  between  good  and  evil  and  maintain  friendship 
with  both  sides,  who  never  face  unpopularity  for  doing  right, 
who  have  never  had  to  take  up  arms  in  a  righteous  cause? 
Not  so,  but  happy  are  those  who  really  sacrifice  for  the  sake 
of  promoting  the  principles  of  the  Kingdom.  Be  sad?  Not 
at  all,  rejoice,  when  men  call  you  a  crank,  a  fanatic,  a  fool, 
treat  you  with  contempt,  or  unjustly  persecute  you  for  doing 
right.     This,  then,  is  a  call  to  heroic  service  and  supreme  joy. 

We  have  now  completed  the  Beatitudes  according  to  Mat- 
thew.    Read   Luke  6 :  20-26.     Allen,   Votaw,   King,  and   Har- 

1  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  H.  C.  King.  Copyrighted  1910.  Used  by 
permission   of  the   Macmillan  Company.     New   York, 


42  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

nack  think  the  account  of  Matthew  is  the  more  accurate  and 
prefer  it.  Wendt.  Bacon,  and  others  prefer  the  account  of 
Luke,  asserting  that  the  account  of  Matthew,  in  accordance 
with  the  ideas  of  the  early  church,  softened  down  the  harsh- 
ness of  Luke  6:20-26.  If  the  account  of  Luke  be  accepted, 
then  Jesus  emphasized,  says  Bacon,  "  That  true  blessedness  is 
not  with  the  outwardly  enviable,  but  the  inwardly,  however 
wretched  in  men's  eyes.  As  usual,  in  such  cases,  the  nearer 
we  come  to  the  original  the  greater  is  the  simplicity  and  self- 
consistency  of  the  thought.  It  answers  the  question.  Wherein 
lies  the  blessedness  of  the  kingdom?  not,  What  must  be  done 
to  attain  it?"i 

Choose  either  account  as  the  more  accurate,  but  get  the 
principles  underlying  both,  since  the  central  thought  in  each 
evidently  came  from  Jesus. 


Study  IV.  Fifth  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     The 
Beatitudes  Summarized 

Review  to-day  the  Beatitudes  and  think  of  the  derision 
and  laughter  with  which  these  sayings  of  Jesus  must  have 
been  received  by  the  officials  and  religious  leaders  of  His  day. 
He  opposed  a  worldly  code  which  ran  thus : 

Happy  is  the  man  who  "  knows-it-all."  He  is  not  bothered 
with  seeking  for  light, 

Happy  is  the  man  whose  conscience  permits  him  to  do  any- 
thing.    He  suffers  no   remorse. 

Happy  is  the  man  who  fights  for  his  rights  and  claims  a 
little  more  than  his  share.     He'll  be  sure  to  get  it. 

Happy  is  the  man  who  doesn't  care  if  his  character  is  a 
little  off-color,  if  he  can  profit  by  it. 

Happy  are  the  tyrant  and  the  master,  for  they  need  no 
mercy. 

1  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  B.  W.  Bacon.  Copyrighted  1902. 
Used  by  permission   of  the   Macmillan    Company.     New   York, 


The  Ser?no?i  ofi  the  Alount  43 

Happy  is  the  impure  man  who  gratifies  his  passion  unhin- 
dered, for  he  shall  have  much  pleasure. 

Happy  is  he  who  can  carry  news  which  will  stir  up  strife, 
for  he  can  profit  by  the  quarrel. 

Happy  is  he  who  can  lead  an  easy,  indifferent  life,  for  he'll 
not  have  to  bother  with  questions  of  sacrifice.^ 

But  this  code,  said  Jesus,  only  brought  sorrow,  bitterness, 
and  ruin. 

Review  the  qualities  which  He  emphasized : 

Personal. 

1.  A  teachable  humility,     v.  3. 

2.  Genuine  penitence,     v.  4. 

3.  Self-control  at  its  highest  power,  v.  5. 

4.  A  persistent  eagerness  for  the  highest  character,    v.  6. 

Social. 

5.  Sympath}'  with  men,     v.  7. 

6.  Deepest  reverence  toward  men.     v.  8. 

7.  Promoting  love  among  men.     v.  9. 

8.  Sacrificing  for  men.     vv.   10-12. 

"Character,  happiness,  influence  —  these  make  life.  And 
their  prime  conditions  Jesus  has  named  in  the  Beatitudes. 
Here,  then,  indeed,  are  our  map  of  life,  our  chart,  our  sailing 
orders,  even  in  the  purely  ethical   sphere. 

"  In  the  Beatitudes,  therefore,  Jesus  is  virtually  saying  to 
the  '  disciple  multitude '  before  him :  I  wish  you,  first  and 
most  of  all,  character.  These  qualities  which  I  have  named 
are  the  really  basic  qualities  of  character.  .  .  . 

"And  I  wish  you  joy.  Not  carelessly,  as  those  who  know 
not  what  they  wish !  But  fully,  knowing  what  it  costs,  I 
wish  you  joy  —  the  best,  the  largest,  the  richest,  the  deepest 
joy  that  life  can  give.  .  .  . 

"  And  I  wish  you  influence,  that  you  may  count.  The  steady 
oncoming  of  the  civilization  of  brotherly  men  demands  in 
its  leaders  just  these  qualities  of  which  I  have  spoken.  .  .  ."  1 

1  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  H.  C.  King.  Copyrighted  1910.  Used  by 
permission    of  the   Macmillan    Company.      New   York. 


44  Jesus  and  ihc   Young  Man   of   To-day 


Study  IV.  Sixth  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  5: 

13-20.     The  Influence  of  Members  of  the 

Kingdom  in  Everyday  Life 

Read  Matthew  5:  13-16.  After  describing  the  ideal  life  in 
vv.  3-12,  Jesus  next  told  of  its  mission.  It  was  to  be  a  pre- 
servative. As  salt  preserved  the  fish  that  were  cured  in  the 
packing  houses  of  Capernaum,  so  would  the  members  of  the 
Kingdom  keep  society  from  decay.  "  Would  you  do  away 
with  the  church,  then?"  was  asked  of  a  man  who  ridiculed 
religion.  "  Oh,  no,"  he  said,  "  the  church  is  a  good  thing 
to  keep  us   from  slipping  back  into  hoggishness." 

Secondly,  the  members  of  the  Kingdom  were  to  be  as  light 
to  scatter  the  darkness  of  evil  and  sin,  and  show  men  the 
way  of  life.  Not  only  were  they  to  be  a  preservative,  but 
they  were  to  Ije  an  active  force  for  good. 

And,  said  Jesus,  men  seeing  your  good  works  will  also 
follow  the  guidance  of  your  Father.  We  talk  of  having  or 
using  our  influence  as  if  it  were  an  external  attachment  to 
our  natures  to  be  used  in  our  hands  as  a  knife  is  used  in 
whittling  a  stick.  We  are  an  influence,  whether  we  will  or 
not,  permeating  our  environment  for  good  or  evil,  for  a  city 
set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid.  Goodness,  however,  is  as  con- 
tagious as  evil,  and  a  Christlike  life  will  draw  other  men  to 
glorify  and  serve  the  same  Master  we  serve.  Read  again 
Matthew  5  :  13-16. 

Just  here,  perhaps,  some  priest  interrupted  Jesus  with  the 
question,  "  Are  you  not  undermining  and  destroying  the  Mo- 
saic law?"  "No,"  said  Jesus,  "I  came  not  to  destroy  but  to 
fulfill.  The  man  who  follows  me  will  not  only  fulfill  the  re- 
quirements of  the  law,  but  will  do  much  more  than  the  law 
requires.  The  trouble  with  you  Pharisees  is  not  that  you  go 
too  far  but  that  you  do  not  go  far  enough."  Then  turning 
to  His  disciples  He  said,  "  If  your  righteousness  does  not 
exceed  the  righteousness  of  these  scribes  whose  life  consists 
in  obeying  external  rules,  you  cannot  even  enter  into  the 
Kingdom   of   Heaven."     Read    Matthew   5 :  17-20.     Vv.    18-19 


Review  45 

are  probably  not  a  part  of  the  original  sermon,  for  they  rep- 
resent Jesus  as  speaking  in  accord  with  the  rabbinical  view  of 
the  law,  which  is  inconsistent  with  the  rest  of  the  sermon 
as  expressed  in  vv.  21-48.  These  words  may  have  been  spoken 
by  Jesns  on  other  occasions  to  express  His  respect  for  the 
authority  of  the  moral  intent  of  the  law,  but  the  writer  be- 
lieves they  have  been  incorrectly  inserted  here.  We  will  omit 
them  and  let  v.  20  follow  directly  after  v.  17.  For  detailed 
discussion  of  this  point  see  references  13  and  21. 

Imagine  a  man  addressing  a  group  of  laymen  and  ministers 
to-day  and  telling  the  laymen  that  unless  they  lived  better 
lives  than  the  clergymen  that  they  could  not  enter  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven!     Yet  Jesus  did  just  that. 


Study  IV.  Seventh  Day 

Review 

Look  back  to-day  over  the  ground  covered  this  past  week. 
The  man  who  appeared  in  Galilee  years  ago  believing  He  was 
chosen  by  God  to  establish  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth 
outlined  to  His  followers  the  basic  principles  of  real  life.  Our 
knowledge  has  increased,  our  inventions  have  multiplied,  our 
civilization  is  far  in  advance  of  that  of  a.  d.  30  but  the  ideals 
which  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth  placed  before  the  multi- 
tudes of  His  day  are  still  very  imperfectly  realized  in  our 
lives,  and  they  are  the  distant  ethical  goal  toward  which  civili- 
zation is  striving. 

1.  The  first  principle  outlined  is  open-mindedness.  Before 
proceeding  further,  determine  honestly  whether  you  are  fac- 
ing Christ  with  an  open  mind?  Are  you  following  this  course 
at  the  urgent  request  of  some  interested  friend,  intending 
to  accept  only  that  truth  which  agrees  with  certain  precon- 
ceived ideas  of  yours?     Will  you  make  this  prayer  to-day? 

"  O  Father,  with  Thy  help  I  promise  to  face  the  truth 
honestly,  and  when  I  see  it,  to  follow  it,  cost  what  it  may." 

V.  3- 

2.  We  notice  that  Jesus  also  expresses  character  in  terms 
of  aspiration.     Not  what  we  accomplish  but  what  we  endeavor 


46  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

to  accomplish  is  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  sacri- 
fice of  a  soldier  who  died  in  a  training  camp,  if  he  were 
animated  by  the  same  courageous  purpose,  was  as  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  as  the  deeds  of  a  man  who  won  a  medal 
of  honor  on  the  field  of  battle.     Both  were  heroes. 

3.  Do  you  listen  to  and  repeat  indecent  stories?  v.  8. 

4.  Would  you  suffer  unpopularity  for  the  sake  of  Christ? 
Would  you  throw  away  your  chances  of  being  elected  presi- 
dent of  your  class  by  fighting  for  a  clean  banquet?  A  friend 
of  "  Bill  "  Borden  said  of  him,  "  We  all  admired  the  way  he 
stood  up  for  what  he  beHeved,  in  the  face  of  no  end  of  ridi- 
cule from  the  rest  of  the  class.  Bill  was  willing  to  be  a  '  fool 
for  Christ's  sake.' "  1  Are  you?  Christ  is  not  asking  you 
to  throw  your  life  away  but  to  save  it.  Not  self-effacement 
but  self-realization  is  placed  before  you.  This,  said  Jesus, 
comes  through  self-sacrifice,     vv.  ia-12. 

5.  Is  your  light  so  shining  that  your  fellow  students  are 
being  unconsciously  drawn  toward  Christ?  Are  you  incor- 
porating the  principles  of  Jesus  in  your  conduct?  v.  16. 

6.  Is  your  idea  of  religion  obedience  to  a  set  of  rules  or  a 
life  dominated  by  the  purposes  of  Almighty  God?  v.  20. 

1  Christian  Standards  in  Life.  Murray-Harris.  The  Association 
Press.     New  York. 


STUDY  V.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  5: 

21-32.     A  Man  Lives  Within.     Thoughts  and 

Motives  Determine  His  Character 

After  having  stated  that  He  came  not  to  destroy  but  to 
fulfill  the  law,  Jesus  then  illustrated  the  way  in  which  His 
principles  demanded,  not  only  an  external  observance  of  the 
law  but  also  an  internal  purpose  in  accord  with  the  spirit  of 
the  law.  The  scribes  judged  men  by  their  outward  acts. 
Jesus  judged  men  by  their  thoughts  and  motives.  Read  vv. 
21-25.  Vv.  25-26,  the  writer  believes,  are  incorrectly  inserted 
here  as  they  were  spoken  as  a  warning  to  the  unrepentant 
nation  as  in  Luke  12:54-59.  If  applied  in  a  personal  sense 
as  here,  Jesus  would  be  urging  men  to  do  right  for  fear 
of  suffering  the  consequences  of  sin,  which  would  be  a  con- 
tradiction of  His  other  teachings  and  inconsistent  with  the 
tenor  of  His  life.  (See  references  13  and  21  for  complete  dis- 
cussion.) For  instance,  said  Jesus  in  support  of  His  declara- 
tion regarding  the  law,  "  Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said 
to  the  ancients.  Thou  shalt  not  kill,  and  whosoever  killeth  he 
shall  be  amenable  to  judgment.  But  I  say  unto  you.  Whoso- 
ever is  angry  with  his  brother  shall  be  amenable  to  judgment. 
(Moreover  it  was  said),  Whosoever  shall  call  his  brother 
Scoundrel  shall  be  amenable  to  the  court.  But  I  say  unto 
you,  Whosoever  calleth  him  Simpleton  shall  be  amenable  to 
the  hell  of  fire."  ^  Not  only  are  we  not  to  kill  men,  but 
we  are  not  to  hate  men.  If  your  hatred  is  so  intense  that  you 
desire  to  kill  a  man,  you  are  just  as  much  of  a  murderer  as 
if  you  had  killed  him.  The  eft'ect  on  the  man  is  not  the 
same,  but  the  effect  on  you  is  probably  worse,   for  you  are 

1  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  B.  W.  Bacon.  Copyrighted  1902. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Macmillan  Company.     New  York. 

47 


48  Jesus  and  the    Young  Man   of   To-day 

not  only  a  murderer  at  heart  but  probably  a  coward  also. 
"If  therefore,"  said  Jesus,  "you  are  about  to  kneel  ni  prayer 
or  attend  devotional  service  and  remember,  not  that  you 
have  a  grudge  in  your  heart,  but  that  your  fellow  student 
has  aught  against  you,  leave  your  knees,  tirst  be  reconciled  to 
your  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  your  petition  to  God." 
Every  other  duty  must  yield  to  the  absolute  obligation  of 
cherishing  a   forgiving   spirit. 

The  hell  of  fire  which  Jesus  here  refers  to,  is  not  the  hell 
usually  pictured  in  Christian  theology.  There  are  two  words 
in  the  New  Testament  translated  in  the  King  James  Version 
as  "hell."  One  is  "hades"  or  in  the  Old  Testament,  "  sheol," 
which  is  the  dwelling  place  of  departed  spirits.  The  other  re- 
fers to  the  valley  of  Gehenna  outside  of  Jerusalem  in  which 
the  garbage  and  refuse  of  the  city  was  thrown.  Here  the  con- 
stantly smoldering  fires,  the  maggots,  and  the  stench,  gave 
Jesus  an  illustration  which  He  used  in  contrasting  the  inevi- 
table environment  of  sin  with  the  surroundings  of  the  right- 
eous. He  who  harbors  ill  will,  hatred,  or  a  grudge  against 
his  neighbor  will  not  only  not  enter  the  Kingdom  but  is  mor- 
ally like  decayed  garbage  cast  into  the  Gehenna  of  fire. 

Read  Matthew  5 :  2y-2>2.  In  another  instance  of  His  rela- 
tion to  the  law,  Jesus  said,  "  Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said. 
Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery :  but  I  say  unto  you,  every 
one  that  looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  com- 
mitted adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart."  Not  only  no 
outward  sin,  but  no  impure  look  or  immoral  brooding  is 
allowed  by  the  principles  of  the  Kingdom.  Many  men  have 
been  haunted  by  horrible,  fiendish  thoughts  which  they 
thought  to  be  sin.  A  thought  is  not  a  sin  unless  it  is  in- 
vited and  then  entertained.  We  cannot  keep  birds  from  fly- 
ing over  our  heads,  but  we  can  keep  them  from  building 
their  nests  in  our  hair.  Sin  is  not  in  the  entrance  of  the 
thought  into  our  mind  but  in  our  attitude  toward  the  thought 
after  it  flashes  before  us.  When  a  man  delights  in  tempta- 
tion, then  temptation  becomes  sin. 

"  Again,  it  was  said.  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife, 
let  him  give  her  a  letter  of  divorce."  "But  I  say. unto  you," 
said  Jesus,  "  Every  one  that  putteth  away  his  wife  comrnitteth 
adultery,  and  whosoever  shall  marry  her  that  is  divorced  com- 


The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  49 

mitteth  adultery."  "  Saving  for  the  cause  of  fornication," 
the  writer  believes,  is  an  unv^arranted  insertion  (see  Mark 
10:2-12),  inconsistent  w^ith  the  uncompromising  attitude  of 
Jesus  toward  evil.  The  foundation  of  society  is  the  home. 
In  it  the  character  of  the  child  is  nurtured.  In  the  love  and 
devotion  of  father  and  mother,  the  boy  gets  his  first  under- 
standing of  the  love  and  care  for  us  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 
The  home,  then,  is  sacred,  and  whatever  tends  to  under- 
mine it  is  not  to  be  tolerated  or  compromised  with.  It  is  bet- 
ter that  some  should  suffer  unjustly  than  that  the  sacredness 
of  the  home  should  be  destroyed.  Prohibition  of  divorce  is 
not  too  strict;  our  marriage  laws  are  lax.  Parents  allow  their 
children  to  enter  into  marriage  uninstructed  and  unprepared 
for  the  responsibilities  and  readjustments  which  they  must 
face  in  this  new  era  of  their  lives.  When  the  inevitable  dis- 
appointment follows,  they  seek  relief  for  them  by  divorce. 

Read  now  Matthew  5  :  29-30.  "  Whatever,"  then,  said  Je- 
sus, "  is  retarding  your  spiritual  development,  cast  it  out 
of  your  life."  Remember,  operations  are  not  performed 
on  healthy  organs ;  it  is  the  diseased  appendix  or  the  can- 
cerous growth  which  must  be  removed.  Nothing  wholesome 
has  to  be  eliminated,  but  only  that  which  breeds  immoral  dis- 
ease or  saps  the  spiritual  vitality. 


Study  V.  Second  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  5: 
33-42.     Men  of  the  Kingdom  Are  Trustworthy 

and  Forgiving 

Read  Matthew  5 :  33-37.  You  have  heard  the  expression 
applied  to  certain  men,  "  his  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond,"  or 
"  I  would  rather  have  his  word  for  a  thing  than  his  signed 
contract."  The  Jews  had  many  kinds  of  oaths,  some  binding, 
and  others  not  binding.  They  would  seemingly  obligate  them- 
selves in  a  contract  and  then  by  a  technicality  in  the  oath 
would  repudiate  the  obligation  at  their  convenience.  In  the 
Kingdom,  said  Jesus,  men  are  to  be  so  thoroughly  honest 
that  the  simple  "  Yes,"  or  "  No,"  will  carry  with  it  the  author- 


50  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

ity  of  truthfulness  without  the  necessity  of  adding  the  artificial 
formula  of  an  oath,  in  order  to  make  it  binding.  Truthful- 
ness consists  not  in  meeting  binding,  external  obligations  but 
in  the  honest  purposes  of  the  heart. 

Read  Matthew  5  :  38-42.  Smith  travelled  a  rural  district  in 
Virginia  as  a  salesman  for  the  Hill  Commission  Company  of 
Baltimore.  He  not  only  bought  and  sold  goods  but  also  col- 
lected money  and  receipted  bills.  In  the  course  of  time, 
however,  the  bookkeeper  of  the  firm  discovered  that  Smith 
had  "juggled"  his  accounts,  and  that  he  was  short  a  large 
sum  of  money.  Mr.  Hill  sent  for  the  salesman  and  in  the 
quiet  of  the  private  office,  said,  "  Smith,  in  auditing  your 
accounts,  we  have  discovered  a  large  shortage  of  money.  I 
suppose  you  realize  we  can  put  you  '  behind  the  bars  '  for  this. 
But  I'll  not  do  that.  We  are  going  to  give  you  another 
chance.  You  go  back  to  your  route,  continue  working  for  us 
as  usual,  and  every  month  send  me  fifty  dollars  put  of  your 
commissions  until  you  have  paid  back  the  amount  you  have 
stolen." 

Hill  did  wrong,  you  say?  "There  are  too  many  crooks 
in  the  world  who  live  on  the  money  some  honest  man  has 
earned.  The  thieves  ought  to  be  punished.  Let  'em  take 
their  medicine  like  the  rest  of  us.  This  mercy  merely  en- 
courages men  to  steal,"  So  argue  some  and  perhaps  with 
seeming  reason. 

Almost  dazed  by  the  unmerited  kindness  of  his  employer, 
Smith  went  back  to  work  and  regularly  sent  fifty  dollars 
every  month  to  the  firm  to  make  good  his  defalcation.  When 
the  last  payment  was  due,  he  went  to  Baltimore  to  deliver 
the  amount  in  person  and  to  close  the  account.  The  busi- 
ness was  settled  on  Saturday.  Sunday  morning,  Smith  and 
Hill  attended  church  together.  The  minister,  incidentally 
or  providentially,  just  as  you  please,  preached  on  the  text, 
"  He  that  smiteth  thee  on  thy  right  cheek,  turn  to  him 
the  other  also."  Little  did  the  preacher  realize  that  an  ex- 
cellent illustration  of  the  text  was  sitting  in  the  congre- 
gation before  him.  Later  in  the  day,  in  the  parlor  of  the 
home  of  Mr.  Hill,  Smith  broke  down  and  wept  like  a  child. 
Both  men  realized  as  never  before  the  real  meaning  of  the 
words  of  Jesus  in  vv.  39-42.     Jesus  does  not  mean  hei'e  that 


The  SerTiion  on  the  Alount  51 

30U  are  to  satisfy  the  whims  of  people  who  want  you  to  walk 
a  mile  with  them,  or  to  lend  your  money  to  every  unthrifty 
borrower,  or  to  encourage  idleness  by  giving  away  your  clothes 
to  those  who  refuse  to  work,  or  to  let  a  man  pommel  you  in 
the  street  without  defending  yourself.  He  is  not  advocating 
that  we  allow  dishonest  business  men  to  go  unpunished.  It 
lowers  the  moral  tone  of  a  community  to  allow  a  man  to  main- 
tain a  respectable  social  and  religious  standing  while  profiting 
from  dishonest  or  corrupt  practices.  Neither  is  this  a  doc- 
trine of  the  passive  non-resistance  of  evil.  A  man  whose 
blood  does  not  boil  at  the  sight  of  injustice  or  oppression  and 
who  is  not  willing  to  give  his  life  to  crush  it,  is  not  half  a 
man.  "  Some  men,"  said  an  old  Southern  minister,  *'  can 
be  knocked  down  to  the  glory  of  God."  Jesus  is  here  at- 
tacking the  spirit  of  revenge  and  hatred  which  embitters  us 
on  account  of  wrong  done  us.  Instead  of  harboring  personal 
grievances,  insults,  or  injuries,  no  matter  how  unjust,  and 
waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  "  get  even "  we  ought,  said 
Jesus,  to  turn  the  other  cheek  and  return  good  for  evil.  The 
man  who  hates  is  always  more  injured  than  the  man  who  is 
hated.  Revenge  is  like  poison  to  our  spiritual  lives.  It  em- 
bitters and  hardens  us,  when  we  brood  over  it,  and  eventually 
destroys  our  likeness  to  Christ. 

Some  of  these  sayings  of  Jesus  may  seem  harsh  and 
severe.  Jesus  never  tried  to  make  it  easy  for  men  to  fol- 
low Him.  It  was  a  self-sacrificing,  heroic  task  to  which  He 
called  men,  and  He  expressed  His  teachings  in  a  clear,  concise 
form  without  any  qualifications  which  could  be  used  as  ex- 
cuses for  disobedience  in  so-called  exceptional  instances. 
Neither  did  He  use  illustrations  which,  although  not  limiting 
the  meaning,  would  in  any  way  obscure  the  principle  He 
wished  to  teach. 

Study  V.  Third  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  5: 
43-6 :  4.     The  Law  Is  Summarized  in  Love 

Read  now  Matthew  5  :  43-48  and  try  to  realize  the  import 
of  what  you  are  reading.     How  easy  it  is  to  repeat  the  words, 


52  Ji'sus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

"Love  your  enemies,  and  pray  for  them  that  persecute  you," 
but  how  difficult  to  practice.  Do  you  love  and  pray  for  the 
fellow  who  by  misrepresentation  kept  you  from  being  elected 
captain  of  the  football  team,  or  kept  you  out  of  a  certain 
fraternity  on  account  of  a  personal  grudge  against  you,  or 
for  the  fellow  who  was  reared  with  you  as  a  boy  but  by 
political  influence  secured  a  commission  and  now  hardly 
deigns  to  notice  you,  or  for  the  man  who  went  into  business 
with  you  and  cheated  you  out  of  every  cent  you  had  ?  Do  you 
harbor  any  resentment  against  any  of  these  men?  If  they 
were  destitute  would  you  do  them  a  service  if  you  had  an 
opportunity? 

If  you.  as  soon  as  you  are  injured,  look  for  revenge, 
you  are  no  better  than,  if  as  good  as,  the  man  who  injured 
you.  If  you  are  kind  only  to  those  who  are  kind  to  you,  you 
do  not  deserve  any  credit  for  that,  the  taxgatherers,  the 
thieves,  the  excommunicate,  even  dogs,  are  kind  to  their 
friends.  "  But  you,"  said  Jesus,  "  are  to  love  your  enemies 
and  to  requite  ill  will  by  kindness;  injury  by  loving  service. 
For  so  your  Heavenly  Father  treats  you  and  all  mankind. 
He  makes  the  sun  to  shine  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sends 
rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust."  This  spirit  of  for- 
giveness is  not  an  element  of  character  to  which  we  force  our- 
selves to  assent,  producing  such  remarks  as,  "  Well,  I  forgive 
him,  but  I'll  never  forget  it."  It  is  not  a  virtue  we  practice 
in  order  to  feel  that  we  have  satisfied  the  requirements  of  Je- 
sus for  membership  in  the  Kingdom.  Neither  should  it  be 
practiced  in  order  to  make  our  enemy  ashamed  of  himself  by 
heaping  coals  of  fire  on  his  head.  It  should  be  a  spontaneous, 
unconditional,  forgiving  love  which  springs  from  our  sense  of 
the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  of  His  unmerited,  forgiving  love 
to  ourselves  as  well  as  to  others. ^  Let  us  therefore  strive  to 
be  perfect  as  our  Heavenly  Father  is  perfect,  for  we  cannot 
share  His  life'  or  ask  for  His  blessings  as  long  as  our  hearts 
are  tainted  with  hate. 

Refer  to  the  outline  in  Study  IV,  Second  Day,  and  see  how 
far  we  have  progressed  in  this  great  discourse.  We  now  take 
up  C-b,  the  outworkings  of  the  ideal  life  in  real  religious  wor- 

1  The  Teaching  of  Jesus.  H.  H.  Wendt.  Used  by  permission  of 
the    Charles    Scribner's    Sons.     New    York. 


The  Sermon  on  the  Alount  53 

ship.  Matthew  6 :  i  is  the  general  theme,  the  ilkistrations  of 
which  follow.  Read  Matthew  6 :  1-4.  Jesus  is  here  emphasiz- 
ing that  giving  which  springs  from  love  of  people  and  does 
not  expect  commendation.  He  is  condemning  the  selfish  giver 
who  is  not  interested  in  helping  others  but  only  in  secur- 
ing personal  glory  and  a  reputation  for  benevolence. 

Samuel  J.  Mills  did  as  much,  perhaps,  as  any  one  man 
to  bring  into  existence  the  American  Bible  Society.  When  it 
was  organized,  he  sat  in  the  gallery  unknown  and  unrecog- 
nized, yet  his  heart  was  overflowing  with  joy  and  thanksgiv- 
ing that  one  of  his  cherished  dreams  had  been  realized. 

A  soldier  in  France  requested  that  no  mention  be  made  of 
a  very  heroic  deed  he  performed. 

Is  your  life  dominated  l)y  a  genuine,  unselfish  interest  in  the 
promotion  of  the  Kingdom  of  God? 

Study  V.  Fourth  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  6: 
5-18.     The  Lord's  Prayer 

Do  not  hasten  through  it  because  it  is  familiar,  but  read 
thoughtfully  Matthew  6:5-15.  Refer  to  Luke  11  :  i  for  the 
circumstances  which  led  Jesus  to  teach  His  disciples  this 
prayer.  The  condition  of  effective  prayer  is  not  in  the 
length  of  the  petition,  or  the  place  in  which  it  is  said,  or 
even  in  the  actual  words  uttered.  Prayer  is  effective  when 
the  desires  of  the  believer  are  in  accord  with  the  will  of  God. 
Many  of  the  most  effective  prayers  are  those  in  which  not  a 
word  is  spoken,  but  the  heart  is  awed  by  the  presence  of  the 
spirit  of  the  Father. 

First,  realize  the  simplicity  of  "  The  Lord's  Prayer."  Tt 
opens  with  "  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,"  not,  "  Almighty 
God,  Creator  and  Ruler  of  all  Mankind,  King  of  Kings, 
Lord  of  Lords,  Eternal  in  the  Heavens,"  but  just  simply, 
"Our  Father."  How  that  changes  our  attitude  in  prayer! 
We  are  not  praying  to  a  God  as  a  theological  abstraction,  or 
as  a  mechanical  First  Cause,  but  as  a  personal  Father  who 
is  far  more  interested  in  us  than  a  human  father  can  pos- 
sibly be. 


54  Jesus  and  the  Young  Ma7i  of  To-day 

But  let  us  not  assume  familiarity  in  this  conception  of 
God.  We  must  realize  that  His  Fatherly  love  intensifies 
and  magnifies  His  Glorious  Majesty.^  Then  naturally  fol- 
low   the    words,    "  Hallowed   be   thy    name." 

Next  is  a  petition  not  only  that  the  purposes  of  God  may 
be  accomplished,  but  that  the  highest  good  may  come  to  man- 
kind in  having  the  will  of  the  Father  done  on  earth  as  in 
heaven. 

Next  is  a  petition  for  daily  sustenance.  Not  great  amass- 
ing of  wealth  and  goods,  should  we  desire,  but  sufficient  needs 
for  the  body  in  order  that  we  may  effectively  do  His  will. 

"  Forgive  us  our  sins,"  is  the  next  petition,  which  is  a  vain 
request  unless  we  have  forgiven  those  who  have  sinned 
against  us. 

Last  of  all,  we  do  not  ask  to  avoid  the  conflict  but  to  be 
kept  from  temptations  too  severe  for  our  weak  natures,  and 
to  be  delivered  from  the  evil. 

Read  again  6:14-15.  The  unforgiving  spirit  separates 
us  from  God  and  makes  it  impossible  for  Him  to  work  His 
will   through   us. 

Read  Matthew  6:  16-18.  Jesus  now  gives  His  last  illustra- 
tion of  the  outworkings  of  the  ideal  life  in  real  religious  wor- 
ship. It  is  as  if  Jesus  were  saying,  "  Don't  pretend  to  be  bet- 
ter than  you  are,  don't  assume  a  sanctimonious  attitude  in 
order  to  win  the  approval  of  others,  don't  join  a  particular 
church  in  order  to  '  get  in '  with  a  select  social  set,  don't 
take  an  active  interest  in  the  Christian  Association  in  order  to 
make  a  senior  society,  don't  picture  righteousness  as  a  melan- 
choly attitude  toward  life." 

Jesus  loathed  hypocrisy  and  unwholesomeness.  Perhaps 
nowhere  do  we  find  any  sharper  invective  against  sham  or 
hypocrisy  than  in  the  words  of  Jesus.  He  emphasized  also 
the  happy  and  positive  side  of  life.  Compare  the  occasional 
idea  of  a  missionary  as  a  melancholy,  sanctimonious,  tract 
distributor  with  the  life  of  Arthur  Frame  Jackson. 2  Every 
wholesome  activity  of  life  comes  within  the  sphere  of  the 
Christian.     The  only   point  a   man   has   to   determine   is   that 

1  The  Teaching  of  Jesus.  H.  H.  Wendt.  Used  by  pv"rn:'ss'cn  of 
the    Charles    Scribner's    Sons.  New    York. 

2  Christian  Standards  in  Life.  Murray-Harris.  The  Assoc»:\*;im 
Press.     New   York. 


The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  55 

every  activity  of  his  life  be  in  accord  with  and  subordinated 
to  the  will  of  God  as  expressed  in  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Jesus. 

Study  V.  Fifth  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (continued).     Matt.  6: 

19-7 :  14.     Jesus  Illustrates  the  Tender  Care  of 

the  Father  over  His  Children.     Judge  Not 

Most  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus  are  so  clear  that  comment 
is  often  superfluous  and  sometimes  detracts  from  the  grandeur 
of  His  words.  Such  is  Matthew  6 :  19-34.  Vv.  19-24  were 
addressed  to  the  wealthy  and  contented  rich,  whose  dominant 
desire  in  life  was  the  acquisition  of  property.  Oriental  wealth 
consisted  chiefly  in  fine  cloths  and  metals,  which  moths  and 
rust  would  destroy.  Do  not,  said  Jesus,  place  the  chief  em- 
phasis of  your  life  on  these  transient  things.  If  you  do,  it 
will  cloud  your  spiritual  sight  so  that  moral  blindness  will 
result.  You  can  have  only  one  master  passion  in  your  life. 
You  cannot  serve  God  and  riches.  You  must  serve  the  one  or 
the  other.  There  is  nothing  wrong  in  honestly  acquiring 
wealth,  in  fact,  we  believe  it  is  beneficial,  if  such  efforts  are 
subordinated  to  the  will  of  God.  "  What  business  are  you 
in  ?  "  was  asked  of  a  marketman.  "  I  am  in  the  King's  busi- 
ness," he  said,  "  and  run  a  butcher  shop  to  pay  expenses." 
And  it  ma}'  have  been  a  very  profitable  butcher  shop  which  he 
conducted,  too. 

Vv.  25-32  were  addressed  to  the  anxious  poor.  How  won- 
derfully Jesus  pictures  the  tender  care  of  the  Father  over  His 
children.  This  passage  does  not  mean  that  a  man  should  not 
save  money  for  .a  "  rainy  day."  It  means  that  if  he  is  seeking 
first  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness  he  should 
not  worry  over  material  circumstances. 

Jesus  now  explains  the  ideal  life  in  regard  to  the  treatment 

of  others.     He  first  points  out,   Matthew  7:1-5,  a  fault  that 

is    common    to    us    all.     Nevertheless    we    should    distinguish 

between    condemnation    of    wrong   and   condemnation   of    the 

vrongdoer.     We   are  to  hate  sin  but  to   love  the   sinner,  to 


5b  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

fight  evil  but  to  endeavor  to  win  the  evildoer.  Jesus  is  here 
condemning  that  harsh,  unforgiving  spirit  which,  ignorant  of 
the  circumstances  and  the  motives  which  prompted  the  act  of 
the  guilty  man,  condemns  him  without  mercy.  The  very  fact 
that  we  are  so  ready  to  judge  others  shows  that  we  have  not 
love  and  kindness  m  our  hearts.  We  are  probably  harboring 
instead  the  vice,  selfish  bitterness.  In  unkindly  judging  or 
imputing  evil  motives  to  others  we,  by  that  very  act,  reveal 
a  beam  of  evil  in  our  own  lives  which  is  far  worse  than 
the  mote  which  we  have  condemned  in  others.  In  Matthew 
7:6,  Jesus  is  saying  in  an  ironical,  yet  half-humorous  way, 
use  tact.  H*e  implies  that  to  reason  with  a  self-righteous, 
prejudiced  Pharisee  was  like  throwing  pearls  before  pigs. 
It  is  a  waste  of  time  to  reason  with  a  self-satisfied,  self- 
righteous  man. 

Read  Matthew  7:7-12.  Here  Jesus  reverses  our  usual  idea 
of  prayer  in  which  we  think  of  God  as  withholding  blessings 
from  us  which  by  importunity  in  prayer,  He  may  be  induced 
reluctantly  to  give.  God  is  our  Father,  said  Jesus,  and  is 
anxiously  waiting  with  infinite  blessings  to  bestow  upon  us 
as  soon  as  we  are  able  to  receive  them.  The  difficulty  is  not 
with  God  but  with  us.  We  are  not  really  seeking  to  receive 
the  best  from  Him  but  want  our  own  selfish  desires  gratified. 
Consider  your  habits  of  prayer  at  this  time  and  estimate  how 
much  of  your  prayer  is  taken  up  in  asking  God  to  do  that 
which  you  want  done  and  how  little  is  devoted  to  asking  God 
to  help  you  do  what  He  wants  done.  He  who  really  seeks 
the  best,  will  find  it.  To  him  who  knocks  the  door  shall  be 
opened.  The  reservoir  of  goodness  is  full  to  overflowing  but 
the  inlet  of  our  will  is  choked  by  selfishness  and  sin. 

As  you  would  that  God  should  do  for  you,  so  do  you  for 
others.  Read  slowly  Matthew  7:12  commonly  known  as 
"  The  Golden  Rule."  Confucius  has  expressed  the  same 
thought  in  a  negative  way  but  Jesus  emphasizes  the  positive 
activity  of  doing  good  to  others. 

"  It  is  not  an  easy  task  to  live  such  a  life  as  I  have  pic- 
tured," said  Jesus,  "  for  the  gate  is  narrow  and  the  way 
strait,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it."  There  is  no  elbow  room 
for  our  lusts,  said  Matthew  Henry. 


The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  57 


Study  V.  Sixth  Day 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (concluded).     Matt.  7: 

15-29.     The  Test  of  a  Tree  Is  the  Fruit.     The 

Test  of  a  Religious  Belief  Is  Its  Value  in  Life 

Read  Matthew  7:  15-23.  After  the  warning  in  v.  15,  Jesus 
states  a  very  simple  formula  by  which  we  can  test  our  re- 
ligious beliefs,  religious  organizations,  or  personal  lives. 
They  are  to  be  tested  by  their  fruits.  Whatever  there  is, 
then,  in  your  life  that  does  not  function,  or  enrich  it,  that 
does  not  satisfy  some  need  of  your  soul,  you  may  discard. 
But  whatever  is  necessary  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  deepest 
needs  of  your  life,  whatever  enables  you  to  live  better,  what- 
ever enriches  your  soul,  to  that  hold  on.  For  instance,  no 
absolute  proof  can  be  given  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 
Some  may  produce  arguments  to  show  its  reasonableness, 
others  may  prove  it  highly  improbable,  for  one  can  prove 
almost  any  premise  by  seemingly  logical  arguments.  What 
we  should  do  is  to  test  it  out  in  life. 

Suppose  some  one  tells  you  that  if  you  mix  sodium  and 
chlorine  you  will  get  salt.  You  could  argue  indefinitely  try- 
ing to  prove  or  disprove  the  statement.  A  more  practical 
man  interrupts  your  reasoning  by  saying,  "  While  you  were 
arguing,  I  went  into  the  laboratory  and  made  the  experi- 
ment. Every  time  I  mixed  sodium  and  chlorine  I  got  salt. 
You  may  come  to  any  conclusion  you  please,  but  it's  a  fact." 

If  you  have  within  you  then,  a  feeling  that  surely  this 
life  does  not  end  the  existence  of  personality,  that  there  must 
be  some  place  where  the  deep  longings  of  the  soul  for  per- 
fection in  love  and  knowledge  will  be  gratified ;  a  feeling 
that  if  this  life  is  all,  the  Creator  who  put  us  here  forged  a 
cruel  joke  upon  us;  then  take  those  feelings,  mix  them  with  a 
belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  test  them  together  in  the 
laboratory  of  life  and  abide  by  the  results.  If  you  find  your 
life  richer,  happier,  and  nobler  by  a  belief  in  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  then  hold  to  such  a  belief  regardless  of  the  con- 
clusions or  astute  arguments  of  classroom  philosophers. 

Again,  if  it  is  necessary  in  order  to  enable  you  to  live  a 


58  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

clean,  honest,  truthful  life,  to  believe  in  God,  the  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  then  believe  in  His  existence  and  infi- 
nite love  and  live  your  life  accordingly,  even  though  all  the 
arguments  attempting  to  prove  the  existence  of  God  are  to 
you  inadequate  and  unconvincing.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
these  beliefs  do  not  enrich  your  life  or  improve  your  con- 
duct, then  we  just  as  frankly  say,  you  may  discard  them. 
But  remember  they  are  to  be  tested  not  in  the  seminar,  but  on 
the  athletic  field,  not  in  the  meeting  of  the  philosophical  so- 
ciety, but  on  the  busy  highway  of  life  where  men  are  burdened 
with  sorrow  and  where  lives  are  being  wrecked  by  sin,  not  in 
the  training  camp  but  on  the  battlefield  where  only  realities 
count. 

In  this  passage,  Jesus  is  rather  emphasizing  that  if  our  re- 
ligious beliefs,  our  church  affiliations,  and  our  activity  in  the 
Christian  Association  are  not  producing  a  life  of  simple  un- 
affected goodness,  then  our  religion  is  worthless.  It  is  failing 
to  accomplish  the  end  for  which  it  was  intended.  In  other 
words,  if  we  cheat  in  examinations,  if  we  cut  third  base  when 
the  umpire  isn't  looking,  if  we  are  dirty  in  football,  if  we  do 
not  pay  our  debts,  if  we  sell  fifteen  ounces  as  a  pound,  if 
we  fail  to  care  for  a  rented  house  as  well  as  if  it  were  our 
own,  if  when  we  left  the  service  we  knowingly  carried  off 
a  government  blanket  which  did  not  belong  to  us,  if  we  are 
unkind,  if  we  are  selfish,  then  our  religion  is  vain. 

Read  again  in  vv.  21-23,  the  words  of  Jesus  about  the  last 
judgment.  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  Jesus,  "Lord, 
Lord,  I  have  been  secretary  of  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  more  than  five 
thousand  members,  I  have  taught  Sunday  school  for  years, 
I  did  not  drink,  or  use  profanity,  I  believed  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  and  the  doctrines  of  the  church,  I  was  a  regular 
attendant  at  divine  worship,  and  regularly  received  the  sacra- 
ments," shall  enter  the  eternal  Kingdom;  for  then  will  the 
Lord  say,  "  Did  all  these  beliefs  and  accomplishments  pro- 
duce in  you  a  better  character,  did  their  influence  appear  in 
your  common  conduct,  were  you  more  honest,  and  kind, 
and  considerate?  Did  you  grow  each  day  more  conscious 
of  the  presence  of  God  ? "  For  "  not  every  one  that  saith 
unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven; 
but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 


Review  59 

This,  then,  is  the  supreme  requirement  of  religion,  that  we 
do  the  will  of  God  on  earth,  that  we  live  a  good  life.  The 
end  of  religion  is  character.^ 

Read  now  Matthew  7 :  24-29,  which  is  an  illustration  nat- 
ural to  a  carpenter.  Jesus  is  picturing  the  folly  and  ultimate 
wreck  of  those  who  hear  with  their  ears  but  fail  to  practice 
with  their  hands,  in  contrast  with  the  abiding  power  and  joy 
of  those  who  drawing  on  the  unseen  resources  of  the  Father 
seek  to  incorporate  His  spirit  in  their  lives  and  to  live  His 
principles  in  the  home,  in  the  school,  and  in  the  shop. 


Study  V.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

Summarize  to-day  the  principles  of  Jesus,  studied  thus  far. 

This  man  Jesus,  who  lived  and  taught  so  many  years  ago, 
gave  the  most  perfect  ideal  of  life,  as  far  as  we  know,  the 
world  has  ever  seen. 

1.  He  based  it  all  upon  His  consciousness  of  the  Father- 
hood of  God.  Jesus  did  not  reason  with  men  about  the  ex- 
istence of  God,  any  more  than  we  would  reason  with  a 
child  the  why  and  wherefore  of  the  existence  of  his  earthly 
father.  He  simply  gave  to  men  the  fruits  of  His  own 
religious  experience,  and  by  touching  their  lives  sought  to 
reproduce  in  them  a  similar  experience.  Whether  we 
believe  in  a  God  or  not,  we  must  admit  that  the  belief  or  con- 
sciousness of  Jesus,  that  at  the  heart  of  the  universe  there 
is  a  loving  Father,  produced  in  Him  the  most  perfect  life, 
and  brought  from  His  lips  the  most  perfect  ideal  of  life  that 
we  can  conceive  of.  li  by  living  our  life  in  the  belief 
in  God  the  Father  we  can  improve  our  characters  and  enjoy 
to  a  small  degree  that  deep  certainty  and  inward  calm  of 
Jesus,  surely  it  is  worth  the  effort. 

2.  H  God  is  our  Father,  then  all  men  are  brothers.  The 
trifling  negro  cook,  the  elevator  boy,  the  drunken  sot,  the  King 
of  England,  the  outcast  woman,  the  bank  president,  the  gen- 

1  Everyman's  Religion.  George  Hodges.  Copyrighted  191 1.  Used 
by   permission   of  the  Macmillan   Company.     New  York. 


6o  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

eral,  and  the  buck  private  are  all  equal  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  if  we  despise  or  disdain  the  least  of  them,  we  are  un- 
worthy to  be  called  a  child  of  God. 

3.  If  every  man  is  a  child  of  God,  then  each  one  is  of  in- 
finite value.  The  emphasis  upon  this  is  one  of  the  distinctive 
contributions  of  Christianity  to  the  religions  of  the  world. 

4.  If  God  is  our  Father  and  every  man  our  brother,  then 
we  are  to  love  God  as  we  do  our  earthly  father  and  love 
every  man  as  we  do  our  own  brother.  Love,  therefore,  is  to 
be  the  inward  motive  which  is  to  dominate  our  life,  not  a 
soft  abstract  sentimentalism,  but  a  great  inward  joy  over- 
flowing from  our  hearts  in  service,  kindness,  and  righteous- 
ness toward  others. 

5.  This  idea  of  filial  relationship  changes  religion  from 
obedience  to  external  rules  to  the  giving  of  the  heart 
to  God  for  the  indwelling  and  outflowing  of  His  love.  Our 
worship  is  not  meant  to  be  a  task  imposed  on  ourselves  from 
a  sense  of  duty.  The  man  who  acts  from  duty  calculates 
how  much  should  be  done,  and  considering  it  somewhat  of  a 
hardship,  is  glad  when  it  is  finished.  A  soldier  rescues  a 
wounded  comrade  on  the  field  of  battle  not  from  duty  but 
from  love.  The  man  who  acts  from  love  is  always  looking 
for  opportunities  to  serve,  and  is  happiest  when  he  is  doing 
the  most  for  those  he  loves.     He  can  truly  say, 

'*  I  give  nothing  as  duties, 
What  others  give  as  duties  I  give  as  living  impulses." 

Religion,  then,  becomes  a  joy  when  our  hearts  are  filled 
with  the  love  of  God.  Is  it  any  wonder  Jesus  called  on  men 
to  believe  the  "good  news"? 

6.  The  supreme  requirement  of  religion,  Jesus  said,  is  liv- 
ing a  good  life.  The  test  of  religion  is  conduct,  practical 
morality,  and  character.  Who  is  it  that  loves  God  and  his 
neighbor,  and  is  acceptable  as  a  member  of  the  Kingdom? 
He  who  docs  the  will  of  God.  As  James  Martineau  ex- 
pressed it:  "If  I  see  a  man  living  out  of  an  inner  spring  of 
inflexible  right  and  pliant  pity;  if  he  refuses  the  color  of  the 
low  world  around  him ;  if  his  eye  flashes  with  scorn  at  mean 
and  impure  things  which  are  a  jest  to  others;  if  high  exam- 
ples of  honor  and  self-sacrifice  bring  the  flush  of  sympathy 


Review  61 

upon  his  cheek ;  if  in  his  sphere  of  rule  he  plainly  obeys  a 
trust  instead  of  enforcing  an  arbitrary  will,  and  in  his  sphere 
of  service  takes  his  yoke  without  a  groan,  and  does  his  work 
with  thought  only  that  it  be  good ;  I  shall  not  pry  into  his 
closet  or  ask  about  his  creed,  but  own  him  at  once  as  the 
godly  man.  Godliness  is  the  persistent  living  out  an  ideal 
preconception  of  the  Right,  the  Beautiful,  the  Good."  ^ 
"  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

7.  The  conception  of  Jesus  of  the  Kingdom  was  conscious 
fellowship  with  God.  He  came  not  to  give  a  collection  of 
rules  or  a  code  for  moral  conduct,  but  came  to  unite  our 
hearts  in  friendship  with  the  Father.  "  If  the  Christian  re- 
ligion were  primarily  doctrinal,  it  might  have  been  taught  by 
a  book  instead  of  a  person,  and  have  offered  a  system  instead 
of  a  saviour ;..."-  What  the  world  needed  was  some  one 
who  was  in  vital  relationship  with  the  Father,  and  who  by  liv-. 
ing  among  men  could  express  the  will  of  God  in  the  language 
of  everyday  life.  It  needed  one  who  by  touching  the  lives  of 
men  could  unite  them  in  friendship  with  God.  Thus  what 
Jesus  was,  not  what  He  said,  is  of  primary  importance.  His 
teachings  are  His  character  expressed  in  words.  His  dis- 
ciples understood  and  remembered  so  much  of  what  He 
taught,  because  they  had  seen  His  teachings  reflected  to  a 
perfect  degree  in  His  own  life. 

8.  Jesus  came,  then,  not  as  a  reformer  but  as  a  revealer. 
He  realized  that  men  differed  only  in  the  externals,  that  funda- 
mentally men  always  were  and  always  would  be  the  same. 
He  revealed  the  eternal  principles  of  God  which  would  meet 
the  soul  needs  of  men  to  the  end  of  time;  and  by  the 
vitalizing  of  their  purposes  through  friendship  with  the 
Father,  the  Kingdom  of  God  would  be  established  upon  the 
earth. 

9.  The  problem  we  have  to  determine  when  we  honestly 
face  Jesus  Christ  is  not  an  intellectual  problem  but  a  moral 
one.     There    are    many   men    to-day    who    do    not    believe    in 

1  Hours  of  Thought  (The  Godly  Man).  James  Martineau.  Used  by 
permission    of   the    Longmans,    Green,    and    Company.      New    York. 

2  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.  F.  G.  Peabody.  Copy- 
righted 1905.  Used  by  permission  of  the  Macmillan  Company.  New 
York. 


62  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

Jesus  as  divine,  or  in  God  as  the  Father,  not  because  it  is 
mentally  unsatisfactory,  but  because  such  a  belief  de- 
mands too  much  of  them.  They  wish  to  indulge  in  some 
favorite  sin,  to  compromise  with  wrong  in  order  to  profit  in 
business,  to  live  lives  of  selfish  indulgence  without  any  con- 
cern for  the  welfare  of  others.  Some  would  like  to  teach 
a  few  hours  a  day,  live  at  the  University  Club,  attend  the 
opera  and  symphonies  as  a  guest  in  a  society  box,  spend 
Sunday  reading  magazines,  or  playing  golf  at  the  country  club, 
but  they  do  not  care  to  be  bothered  with  the  burdens  of  the 
down-trodden,  the  poor,  the  heathen,  or  the  immigrant.  "  Let 
those  who  care  for  that  kind  of  work,  do  it,"  they  say. 
Should  a  righteous  war  arise  they  would  look  to  their  own 
ease  and  safety,  avoiding  sacrifice  and  danger.  But  we  can 
never  intellectually  understand  Jesus  until  our  lives  are 
surrendered  to  Him.  The  main  question  for  every  one  to  de- 
cide is,  "  Am  I  willing  to  place  my  life  in  the  hands  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  to  follow  Him?"  Never  mind  about  the 
Atonement,  the  Apostles'  Creed,  the  Immortality  of  the  Soul, 
the  Existence  of  God,  or  the  Deity  of  Jesus,  are  you  will- 
ing to  live  your  life  according  to  His  principles,  and  die  for 
them  if  necessary?  When  you  have  decided  this  question  in 
the  affirmative,  you  have  opened  the  door  to  a  proper  in- 
tellectual understanding  of  the  Master. 

"  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  They  have  received  their  reward." 
Perhaps  no  words  of  Jesus  have  more  tragedy  packed  into 
them  than  these.  Most  men  can  achieve  any  desired  end 
within  the  range  of  possibility  if  they  are  willing  to  pay  the 
price  for  it.  Some  men  determine  to  gain  wealth  at  any  cost. 
Truly,  they  attain  their  desire,  but  the  price  is  great.  They 
find  that  in  their  mad  determination  to  acquire  wealth,  they 
have  warped  their  characters,  they  have  cramped  their  souls, 
they  have  neglected  their  families,  and  they  have  lost  their 
appreciation  of  the  beautiful.  Then  their  wealth  palls  upon 
them.  Many  college  students,  in  their  rush  to  achieve  class 
positions,  or  athletic  honors,  neglect  their  spiritual  life  to  such 
an  extent  that  it  dies.  They  receive  their  reward  in  transient 
honors,  but  the  price  they  pay  in  spiritual  realities  is  too  high. 


STUDY  VI.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Friends  and  Family  of  Jesus  Think  He  Is  Men- 
tally Unbalanced.  The  Scribes  Call  Him  the 
Prince  of  the  Devils.  The  Eternal  Sin.  Mark 
3:i9b-35;  Matt.  12:22-50;  Luke  8:19-21,  11: 
14-36 

Read  Mark  3:i9b-2i,  31-35.  True  prophets,  political, 
social,  or  religious,  have  always  been  considered  fanatics, 
fools,  or  cranks.  The  family  of  Jesus  hearing  of  His  defiance 
of  the  priests  and  His  authoritative  attitude  as  a  teacher, 
concluded  that  He  was  losing  His  mental  balance.  Feeling 
ashamed  of  the  embarrassing  situation  in  which  the  family 
was  placed,  they  came  to  Capernaum  to  take  Him  home, 
hoping  that  the  quiet  of  Nazareth  would  bring  Him  to  His 
senses.  How  hard  this  must  have  been  for  Jesus  when  His 
own  family  thought  Him  crazy.  Notice  His  quiet  rebuke  in 
vv.  34-35.  Any  man  who  determines  to  do  the  will  of  God 
without  question  may  expect  to  be  called  a  fanatic. 

A  classmate  of  Weston  Harding  remarked,  when  Harding 
left  America  for  the  East,  that  any  man  who  went  to  China  as 
a  missionary  was  a  fool.  This  opinion  was  probably  confirmed 
in  the  mind  of  the  classmate  when  two  years  later,  Harding 
died  in  China  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  But  the  father  of 
Harding  remarked,  with  quivering  lips,  as  he  read  the  letters 
from  the  teachers  and  students  at  St.  John's,  "  We  did  not 
realize  until  now  the  value  of  what  we  were  giving  up,  but  we 
are  glad  that  we  had  him  to  give." 

The  Pharisees,  however,  had  a  different  explanation  to  m3ke 
to  the  crowd.  "This  man,"  they  said,  "cures  these  demoniacs 
and  speaks  so  authoritatively  because  he  is  inspired  by  Beelze- 
bub, the  prince  of  devils  himself."     Read  Mark  3:22-27. 

63 


64  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

Notice  the  illustration  of  Jesns  to  show  the  fallacy  of  their 
statement  and  then  read  in  vv.  28-30  the  awful  doom  pro- 
nounced against  such  an  attitude  as  the  Pharisees  had 
assumed.  "  Does  the  language  indicate  that  a  man  might  re- 
pent and  fail  of  forgiveness?  Or  that  he  might  never  re- 
pent?    Consider  the  force  of  the  last  clause  in  v.  29. 

"  In  looking  at  the  impressive  limitation  to  forgiveness,  do 
not  overlook  the  broad  proclamation  of  forgiveness  in  v.  28. 
These  rabbis  had,  through  a  process  of  development  which  it 
would  be  interesting  to  try  to  trace,  come  to  the  point  where 
they  could  face  what  the  world  recognizes  as  the  most  pro- 
found manifestation  of  God  in  human  history  and  call  it  a 
devil !  Jesus  was  devoutly  conscious  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  Him  enabled  Him  to  do  His  beneficent  works,  but  that 
Spirit  they  called  Beelzebub !  They  were  in  danger  of  set- 
tling down  into  eternal  fixity  in  sin,  all  the  more  awful  be- 
cause they  felt  no  solicitude  about  themselves.  If  they  had 
felt  solicitude  about  themselves,  or  any  regret  for  their 
action,  it  would  have  been  clear  that  they  had  not  com- 
mitted the  so-called  unpardonable  sin.  The  thing  to  be 
dreaded  is  the  beginning  of  the  process  by  which  this  fixity 
in  sin  comes  to  be. 

"  The  great  law  of  the  spiritual  world  is  that  persistent  fail- 
ure to  accept  truth  or  do  duty  results  in  the  loss  of  the 
capacity  to  see  that  truth  or  duty.  From  him  that  has  not 
the  willingness  to  do  truth,  shall  be  taken  away,  by  natural 
psychological  processes,  the  power  to  apprehend  the  truth. 
It  will  become  evident  later  that  the  fundamental  difficulty 
with  these  rabbis  was  their  selfishness.  They  were  more  or 
less  consciously,  but  nevertheless  really,  unwilling  to  recog- 
nize the  superiority  of  Jesus'  conception  of  religion  to  their 
own  because  they  saw  that  if  His  conception  of  the  King- 
dom prevailed,  their  social  and  ecclesiastical  prestige  would  be 
gone."  1 

"  Stand  still,  my  soul,  in  the  silent  dark 
I  would  question  thee, 
Alone  in  the  shadow,  drear  and  stark, 
With  God  and  me  ! 

1  Studies  in  the  Life   of  Jesus  Christ.     E.    I.   Bosworth.     Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of  the   Association    Press.     New   York. 


The  Eti'rual  Sin  65 

"What,  my  soul,  was  thy  errand  here? 
Was  it  mirth  or  ease, 
Or  heaping  up  dust  from  year  to  year? 
*  Nay,  none  of  these  ! ' 

"Speak,  soul,  aright  in  His  holy  sight. 
Whose  eye  looks  still 
And  steadily  on  thee  through  the  night : 
'  To  do  His  will !  ' 

"  What  hast  thou  done,  O  soul  of  mine. 
That  thou  tremblest  so?  — 
Has  thou  wrought  His  task,  kept  the  line 
He  bade  thee  go? 

"  Leaning  on  Him,  make  with  reverent  meekness 
His  own  thy  will. 
And  with  strength  from  Him  shall  thy  utter  weakness 
Life's  task  fulfill." 

Whittier,  "  My  Soul  and  I." 


Study  VI.  Second  Day 

The  Eternal  Sin  (concluded).     Read  Again  Mark 

3 '  28-30 

George  Adam  Smith  said  :  "  A  man  by  decree  of  Almighty 
God  has  iit  his  own  hand  the  power  to  make  his  life  or  to 
blast  it;  he  may  live  on  in  indifference,  in  indulgence  of  open 
sin,  in  bitterness  of  heart,  in  denial  of  God,  until  his  will  loses 
the  power  to  accept  pardon.  Yet  God  waits  with  yearning 
love  for  the  prodigal  to  come  home.  There  are,  alas,  prodi- 
gals innumerable  who  cannot  return ;  prodigals  who  have  lost 
the  power  to  take  the  first  step  on  the  homeward  journey. 
The  appeal  to  pride  is  of  little  avail,  for  there  is  hardly  a 
spark  of  self-respecting  pride  left;  the  call  to  conscience  only 
bores  them,  for  their  conscience  is  stone  deaf;  the  love  and 
anguish  of  the  Father's  heart  evokes  at  best  only  a  senti- 
mental tear;  through  the  human  world  of  unspeakable  riches, 
they  wander  with  empty  souls."  "  The  peril  and  terror  of 
love,"  he  continues,  "is  that  it  may  be  to  a  man  either  Heaven 


66  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

or  Hell.  Believe  then  in  hell,  because  you  believe  in  the 
Love  of  God  —  not  in  a  hell  to  which  God  condemns  men 
of  His  will  and  pleasure,  but  a  hell  into  which  men  cast  them- 
selves from  the  very  face  of  His  love  in  Jesus  Christ.  The 
place  has  been  painted  as  a  place  of  fires.  But  when  we  con- 
template that  men  come  to  it  with  the  holiest  flames  in  their 
nature  quenched,  we  shall  justly  feel  that  it  is  rather  a  dreary 
waste  of  ash  and  cinder,  strewn  with  snow  —  some  ribbed  and 
frosted  Arctic  zone,  silent  in  death,  for  there  is  no  life  there, 
and  there  is  no  life  there  because  there  is  no  Love,  and  no 
Love  because  men  in  rejecting  or  abusing  her  have  slain  their 
own  power  ever  again  to  feel  her  presence."  ^ 

The  unpardonable  sin  has  also  been  described,  "  as  the 
attitude  of  self-centered  indifference  to  the  voice  of  God 
speaking  evermore  within  us," 

"  No  word  of  doom  may  shut  thee  out. 

No  wind  of  wrath  may  downward  whirl, 
No  swords  of  fire  keep  watch  about 
The  open  gates  of  pearl; 

"A  tenderer  light  than  moon  or  sun, 
Than  song  of  earth  a  sweeter  hymn, 
May  shine  and  sound  forever  on, 
And  thou  be  deaf  and  dim. 

"  Forever  round  the  Mercy-seat 

The  guiding  lights  of  Love  shall  burn; 
But  what  if,  habit-bound,  thy  feet 
Shall  lack  the  will  to  turn? 

*'  What  if  thine  eye  refuse  to  see. 

Thine  ear  of  Heaven's  free  welcome  fail, 
And  thou  a  willing  captive  be, 
Thyself  thy  own  dark  jail? 

"  O  doom  beyond  the  saddest  guess, 
As  the  long  years  of  God  unroll 
To  make  thy  dreary  selfishness 
The  prison  of  a  soul !  " 

Whittier,  "  The  Answer." 

1  The  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.  George  Adam  Smith.  Copy- 
right. Used  by  permission  of  the  George  H.  Doran  Company.  New 
York,     Publishers. 


Jesus  Begins  to   Teach  in  Parables  bj 


Study  VI.  Third  Day 

Jesus  Begins  to  Teach  in  Parables.     Mark  4:  1-2, 
9-13;  Matt.  13:  1-3,  10-17;  Luke  8:9-10,  16-18 

When  Jesus  found  some  people  determined  not  to  receive 
His  message,  He  changed  His  method  of  teaching  from  the 
plain  statement  of  fact  as  found  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
to  the  parabolic  method.  This  method  "  presents  truth  in  an 
exceedingly  thought-provoking  and  effective  way  to  one  who 
cares  for  truth,  but  in  a  way  which  tells  nothing  to  one  who 
does  not  want  to  know  truth  and  has  forfeited  his  right  to 
it."  1     Read  Mark  4:1-2,  10-13,  21-25. 

4:  12  reads  as  if  Jesus  did  not  want  the  people  to  under- 
stand. He  is  quoting  from  Isaiah  6:9-10  in  which  Isaiah,  in 
writing  the  account  of  his  call,  gives  the  results  of  his 
message  as  he  looks  back  to  the  beginning  of  his  prophetic 
work.  The  effect  of  the  message  of  Jesus  upon  men  was  the 
same  as  that  of  Isaiah.  It  will  ever  happen  that  men  who' 
refuse  to  see  or  hear  the  truth  will  become  spiritually  blind 
and  deaf,  although  still  possessing  mental  eyes  and  ears. 

Lest  the  disciples  should  misunderstand  the  purpose  of  the 
parables,  Jesus  explains  in  vv.  21-25  that  He  would  not  try 
to  conceal  the  truth  any  more  than  He  would,  in  order  to 
scatter  the  darkness,  light  a  lamp  and  put  it  under  a  bushel. 
The  truth  will  eventually  triumph,  said  Jesus.  If  any  one 
wishes  to  hear  the  truth,  let  him  listen  with  an  open  mind 
and  he  will  hear.  It  is  the  law  of  growth  that  whosoever 
sincerely  follows  the  truth  that  he  has,  to  him  will  be  re- 
vealed more  truth,  but  whosoever  refuses  to  follow  the  truth 
will  lose  even  the  truth  that  he  has  and  also  his  very  power 
of  apprehending  truth..  "  The  soul  that  is  loyal  to  the  truth 
as  far  as  he  sees  it,  is  the  soul  that  has  the  power  to  see 
further." 

Are  you  full  of  intellectual  difficulties  and  sometimes  in 
despair,  doubtful  of  everything?  Then  do  the  right,  and  not 
the  wrong.     Follow  the  light  you  have.     In  the  humble  path 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the   Association    Press.     New   York, 


08  Jvsus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

of  rightdoing,  many  of  your  problems  will  solve  themselves. 
Each  step  of  your  journey  will  open  up  wider  vistas  of  truth 
as  the  road  becomes  firmer  and  more  distinct. 


Study  VI.  Fourth  Day 

The  Parables  of  the  Sower,  the  Growing  Crop,  and 
the  Mustard  Seed.  Mark  4:3-9,  14-20,  26-32; 
Matt.  i3-3-9>  18-23,  31-32;  Luke  8:4-8,  11-15 

Read  Mark  4:3-9,  14-20.  Remember  in  reading  these 
parables  that  in  each  one,  Jesus  usually  illustrated  only  one 
principal  truth  and  did  not  intend  to  give  a  meaning  to  every 
detail.  In  the  parable  of  the  sower,  Jesus  makes  a  most  pro- 
found classification  of  men.  "  He  had  seen  persons  stop  on 
the  edge  of  the  crowd,  attracted  for  the  moment  by  some- 
thing He  said,  and  then  drift  thoughtlessly  on;  He  had  seen 
people  give  assent  to  His  teaching  and  be  persecuted  out  of 
their  interest  in  Him  by  the  rabbis  of  their  home  communi- 
ties; He  had  seen  anxious,  careworn  faces  of  men  and 
women  engrossed  in  other  things  than  the  truth  about  the 
Kingdom ;  He  had  also  seen  those  who  took  time  for  candid 
attention  to  the  truth,  and  in  them  was   His  hope."  ^ 

Read  Mark  4:26-29.  Jesus  here  indicated  the  gradual 
growth  of  the  Kingdom  in  contrast  with  the  spectacular  in- 
auguration commonly  expected  by  the  Jews.  Many  earnest 
people  seem  to  become  impatient  and  discouraged  when  reac- 
tions arise  after  movements  for  reform,  or  when  there  is  a 
lack  of  response  to  the  call  of  higher  things.  Let  us 
realize  that  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom  is  an  evolutionary 
process,  rising  higher,  like  the  tide,  by  slow  degrees.  Notice' 
in  this  parable  "  the  confidence  of  Jesus,  in  spite  of  apparent 
comparative  failure.  He  had  not  won  the  religious  leaders 
at  all,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  crowds  attracted 
to  Him  .  .  .  would  have  fallen  away  had  they  realized  how 
little  their  popular  conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven 
agreed  with  that  of  Jesus.     He  had  not  dared  to  declare  His 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission    of   the   Association    Press.     New   York. 


Parables  of  tlie   Kingdom  69 

Messiahship  to  them,  yet  He  appears  here  absolutely  confident 
of  the  final  outcome.  Truth  had  been  planted  in  men's  minds, 
ideas  had  been  lodged  there,  and  He  felt  like  a  farmer  who 
goes  his  way  by  day  and  sleeps  soundly  at  night  when  once 
his  crop  is  in."  ^ 

Read  Mark  4:30-32.  Here  Jesus  is  illustrating  the  rapid 
growth  and  marvelous  development  of  the  Kingdom  in  seem- 
ingly insignificant  individual  lives. 

"  Although  the  mustard  seed  is  the  smallest  of  garden 
seeds,  it  grows  about  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  be  almost  a  tree 
in  which  birds  can  build  nests,  and  comes  to  be  quite  out  of 
the  class  of  garden  herbs."  ^ 

Many  people  still  vaguely  think  that  the  Kingdom  of  God 
is  to  come  and  in  some  way  associate  it  with  a  great  proces- 
sion of  waving  banners  and  prancing  horses.  The  Kingdom 
of  God  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  is  an  inward,  spiritual  Kingdom 
which  consists  in  the  rule  of  God  over  the  individual  life. 
The  Kingdom  grows  as  men  come  into  fellowship  with  the 
Father.  The  description  of  the  motives  and  actions  of  the 
members  of  the  Kingdom  is  found  in  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  and  throughout  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  Its 
ideal  is  Jesus  Himself.  Its  ultimate  and  complete  develop- 
ment will  mean  the  transformation  of  society  into  a  race  of 
brotherly  sons  of  God  in  whom  the  brotherhood  of  man 
through  obedience  to  the  will  of  God  the  Father  will  be  com- 
pletely realized. 


Study  VI,  Fifth  Day 

Parables  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  Thirteenth  Chapter 
of  Matthew.     Matt.  13:24-30,  33,  36-50;  Luke 

17 : 20-21 

Read  Matthew  13:  24-30,  36-43,  47-50.  These  parables  illus- 
trate the  same  thought,  one  spoken  probably  among  peasants 
and  farmers,  the  other,  to  a  group  of  fishermen. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.      Used   by   permission    of   the    Association    Press.     New    York. 


70  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

"  Tares,  or  zizanium,  resemble  wheat  in  the  early  stages 
of  growth,  but  are  easily  distinguishable  at  maturity.  The 
zizanium  is  a  poisonous  narcotic  which  causes  dizziness  and 
nausea  if  it  by  mistake  gets  into  the  bread.  .  .  . 

"  The  great  drag-net  usually  was  out  all  day,  and  at  evening 
the  fishermen  drew  it  in  and  sat  down  on  the  beach  to  sort 
the  fish,"  1 

Jesus  here  "  deals  with  the  problem  of  evil  which  so  deeply 
stirred  the  soul  of  the  author  of  Job."  2  The  disciples  also 
were  probably  becoming  impatient  at  the  slowness  of  Jesus 
in  inaugurating  the  Messianic  judgment.  In  the  fulness  of 
time,  said  Jesus,  the  judgment  would  come.  Let  evil  and 
good  grow  side  by  side.  To  attempt  to  root  out  the  evil  by 
force  would  injure  even  the  good.  Jesus  is  here  teaching 
that  broad  tolerance  which  so  characterized  His  life. 2  Do 
not  become  impatient  and  irritated  at  those  who  ridicule  re- 
ligion or  block  the  path  of  the  right.  Be  kind,  stand  for  the 
right,  and  in  time,  God  will  bring  it  to  pass. 

The  explanation  in  Matthew  13:36-43  reflects,  the  writer 
believes,  the  later  eschatological  ideas  of  the  early  Christian 
church  such  as  frequently  occur  in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew. 
Jesus  was  concerned  primarily  with  the  present.  The  future 
world  would  take  care  of  itself. 2 

Read  Matthew  13 :  ZZ-  Jesus  is  here  illustrating  "  the  per- 
vading and  assimilating  power  of  the  kingdom  of  God."  ^ 
The  silent  influence  of  a  Christlike  life  slowly  but  surely 
permeates  its  environment. 

Read  Matthew  13 :  44-46.  Notice  in  the  first  parable,  the 
treasure  is  found  accidentally,  and  in  the  second,  it  is  sought 
for  purposely.  In  each  case  the  man  sold  all  that  he  had  in 
order  to  attain  the  prize.  Thus  Jesus  emphasizes  that  every- 
thing in  life  is  of  insignificant  value  in  comparison  with 
membership  in  the  Kingdom. 

Read  Luke  17:20-21  in  which  Jesus  expresses  the  fact  that 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 

2  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
L^sed   by    permission    of   the    Charles    Scribner's   Sons.      New    York. 

3  The  Teaching  of  Jesus.  H.  H.  Wendt.  Used  by  permission  of  the 
Charles  ■  Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 


2  he  Miracle  of  Stilling  the   Tempest  7 1 

the  Kingdom  is  not  external  and  material,  but  inward  and 
spiritual.  It  consists  neither  in  ritual  nor  organization,  nor 
profession,  but  in  inward  fellowship  with  God. 

Study  VI.  Sixth  Day 

The  Miracle  of  Stilling  the  Tempest,  the  Gerasene 
Demoniac,  the  Daughter  of  Jairus,  and  the 
Woman  with  the  Issue  of  Blood.     Mark  4 :  35- 

5:43 

Read  Mark  4 :  35-5  :  43  and  refer  later  to  the  discussion  of 
the  miracles  in  Study  XV.  Sending  the  devils  into  the  swine 
is  probably  the  only  recorded  miracle  of  Jesus  which  is,  to 
the  mind  of  the  writer,  quite  inconsistent  with  His  nature. 
Almost  every  miracle  recorded  was  performed  by  Jesus 
for  some  moral  purpose  or  arose  from  His  compassion  for  the 
afflicted.  It  would  be  hard  to  believe,  on  the  basis  of  any  ex- 
planation we  can  think  of,  that  Jesus  would  deliberately  de- 
stroy two  thousand  swine,  which  were  the  means  of  livelihood 
of  many  people,  who  from  their  point  of  view  were  engaged 
in  a  legitimate  business,  even  though  such  an  occupation 
was  repulsive  to  the  Jews.  Notice  5 :  34,  39  which  will  be 
referred  to  in  a  later  chapter. 

Read  again  5  :  18-20.  Instead  of  permitting  the  demoniac 
whom  He  had  cured  to  go  with  Him,  Jesus  sends  him  back 
to  his  native  town  to  tell  his  family  and  friends  what  had 
been  done  for  him. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  us  at  times  to  talk  with  our  own 
relatives  and  intimate  friends  about  their  personal  religious 
life.  Yet  the  world  will  never  be  won  for  Christ  until  every 
follower  realizes  that  he  is  an  evangelist  for  the  Master. 
Many  people  will  contribute  largely  to  a  professional 
evangelistic  campaign  in  order  to  put  upon  the  shoulders  of 
the  evangelist  their  own  responsibility  for  winning  their 
friends.  Have  you  ever  spoken  to  your  brother,  your  sister, 
your  laboratory  partner,  your  business  associate,  your  fra- 
ternity brother,  or  the  fellow  who  plays  guard  on  the  football 
team  beside  you,  about  his  personal  religious  life? 


72  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

THE  COMMAND 

"  I  said,  '  Let  us  walk  in  the  fields.' 
He  said,  *  No,  walk  in  the  town.' 
I  said,  '  There  are  no  flowers  there.' 
He  said,  '  No  flowers,  but  a  crown.' 

"  I  said,  '  Rut  the  skies  are  black  ; 

There  is  nothing  but  noise  and  din'; 
And  he  wept  as  he  sent  me  back ; 
'  There  is  more,'  he  said,  '  there  is  sin.* 

"  I  said,  '  But  the  air  is  thick. 

And  fogs  are  veiling  the  sun.' 

He  answered,  '  Yet  souls  are  sick, 

And  souls  in  the  dark  undone.' 

"  I  said,  '  I  shall  miss  the  light. 

And  friends  will  miss  me,  they  say.* 
He  answered,  '  Choose  to-night 
If  I  am  to  miss  you,  or  they.' 

"  I  pleaded  for  time  to  be  given. 
He  said,  'Is  it  hard  to  decide? 
It  will  not  seem  hard  in  Heaven 
To  have  followed  the  steps  of  your  Guide.'" 

George  MacDonald. 

Study  VI.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

We  have  now  reached  the  point  in  the  life  of  Jesus  when 
the  opposition  of  the  religious  leaders  has  grown  so  bitter 
that  they  call  Him  Beelzebub  incarnate,  and  His  family  th.-.k 
Him  mentally  unbalanced.  On  account  of  this  bitter  preju- 
dice, Jesus  begins  to  teach  in  parables.  In  Mark  3:28-30,  He 
utters  a  solemn  warning  about  the  peril  of  seeing  the  truth  and 
failing  to  accept  it.  Coningsby  Dawson  wrote  from  France, 
February  sixth,  nineteen  hundred  and  seventeen  :  "  I  reaa  in 
to-day's  paper  that  U.  S.  A.  threatens  to  come  over  and 
help  us.    I   wish  she  would.  .  .  .  Somewhere  deep  down   in 


Review  73 

my  heart  I've  felt  .a  sadness  ever  since  I've  been  out  here, 
at  America's  lack  of  gallantry  —  it's  so  easy  to  find  excuses 
for  not  climbing  to  Calvary ;  sacrifice  was  always  too  noble  to 
be  sensible.  I  would  like  to  see  the  countr}^  of  our  adoption 
become  splendidly  irrational  even  at  this  eleventh  hour  in  the 
game ;  it  would  redeem  her  in  the  world's  eyes.  She  doesn't 
know  what  she's  losing.  From  these  carcass-strewn  fields  of 
khaki  there's  a  cleansing  wind  blowing  for  the  nations  that 
have  died.  Though  there  was  only  one  Englishman  left  to 
carry  on  the  race  when  this  war  is  victoriously  ended,  T  would 
give  more  for  the  future  of  England  than  for  the  future  of 
America  with -her  ninety  millions  whose  sluggish  blood  was 
not  stirred  by  the  call  of  duty.  It's  bigness  of  soul  that 
makes  nations  great  and  not  population."  ^  Tbe  tragedy  of 
student  conferences  and  volunteer  conventions  is,  that 
students,  though  catching  a  glimpse  of  true  self-devotion 
from  the  mountain  peaks  of  God,  deliberately  turn  their  backs 
to  the  view  and  ignore  the  voice  of  the  Father  speaking  within 
their  hearts  for  His  children  in  need.  It  would  have  been 
better  for  these  students  never  to  have  known  the  truth  or 
to  have  seen  the  vision,  than  for  them  to  know  the  truth  and 
not  to  follow  it,  or  to  hear  the  call  of  God  and  not  obc}^  it. 

1.  Notice  in  Mark  3  :  35  those  who  may  claim  relationship 
with  Christ.  So  simple  yet  so  profound  is  the  statement,  and 
so  often  repeated  that  it  runs  like  a  refrain  through  His  whole 
life,  "  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same  is  my 
brother,  and  sister,  and  mother."     Are  you  a  relative  of  His? 

2.  Notice  Mark  4 :  30-32.  Humble  lives  when  transformed 
by  the  power  of  God  become  great.  David  Livingstone,  the 
weaver  boy,  is  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey.  Moody,  the 
uneducated  country  lad,  once  a  clerk  in  a  shoe  store,  perhaps 
more  profoundly  and  permanently  influenced  the  world  than 
.^ii}'  other  man  of  his  time.  "  The  world  has  never  seen." 
said  Mr.  Moody,  "what  God  can  do  with  a  man  whose  life  is 
completely  surrendered  to  Him."  Have  we  surrendered  our 
lives?  If  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  so  great  a  transforming 
energy,  have  you  ever  considered  its  worth  to  you  ? 

3.  Your  valuation   of   Christ  can   be   determined  largely  by 

1  Carry  On.  Coningsby  Dawson.  Copyrighted  1917.  Used  by  per- 
mission of  the  John   Lane  Company.     New  York. 


74  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

your  desire  to  share  your  religious  life  with  others.  Many 
Christian  students  and  some  student  volunteers  expect  in 
time  to  become  fervent  evangelists.  However,  the  first  place 
to  manifest  such  an  interest  is  in  their  own  home  and  among 
their  intimate  friends. 

4.  "  And  the  cares  of  the  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of 
riches,  and  the  lusts  of  other  things  entering  in,  choke  the 
word,   and  it   becometh  unfruitful." 

"  Worldliness  consists  in  forgetting  the  ends  of  life  in  ab- 
sorption in  the  means.  The  business  man  who  gives  his  whole 
thought  to  making  money  without  learning  to  use  it  well,  the 
ambitious  politician  who  spends  his  life  in  seeking  office  with- 
out thinking  how  through  the  office  he  may  serve  the  people, 
the  woman  who  devotes  her  days  to  dressmakers  and  milli- 
ners, all  those  whose  minds  are  occupied  with  the  mere  in- 
struments and  mechanism  of  life,  are  choked  with  the  tares 
of  worldliness.  They  may  live  on  a  higher  plane  than  the 
idler  or  debauche;  they  may  escape  the  worst  pitfalls  of  life ; 
but  they  do  not  attain  to  its  highest  rewards.  The  unworldly 
man  sees  deeper  into  life,  lays  hold  of  the  eternal  things;  if 
he  seeks  wealth  or  fame,  or  cultivates  society,  it  is  for  the 
ideal  ends  he  can  attain  there-through,  for  the  better  service 
of  his  fellows  or  of  God."  ^ 

1  The  Problems  of  Religion.  Duratit  Drake.  Copyrighted  191 6. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Houghton   Mifflin   Company.     Boston. 


STUDY  VII.    FIRST  DAY 

Jesus  Visits  Nazareth.     Mark  6 :  i-6 ;  Matt.  13 :  54- 

58;  Luke  4:  16-30 

After  a  time,  Jesus  decided  to  visit  His  mother  and  His 
other  relatives  at  Nazareth.  Here,  "  He  had  worked  at  His 
trade  for  so  many  years  [but  now  He  returns],  a  famous 
prophet  with  disciples  who  look  to  Him  as  their  rabbi.  He 
arrives  some  time  during  the  week,  visits  in  the  homes  of  His 
married  sisters  and  brothers,  passes  here  and  there  the  houses 
He  has  built,  and  on  the  Sabbath  goes  into  the  old  synagogue 
of  His  boyhood  days.  Read  Mark  6 :  1-6  with  active  imagina- 
tion. 

"The  word  'offended'  in  v.  3  means  *  caused  to  stumble.* 
That  is,  they  found  something  in  Jesus  that  tripped  them 
like  the  trigger  of  a  trap  and  so  snared  them  that  they  did  not 
proceed  to  accord  Him  the  welcome  which  He  received  else- 
where. Why  did  not  the  villagers  give  the  prophet  a  hearty 
welcome?  .  .  .  Notice  the  sad  situation  implied  in  the  last 
words  of  V.  4."  1 

Notice  in  v.  5  the  words,  "  could  not,"  which  will  be  re- 
ferred to  in  the  study  on  Miracles.  This  seems  to  imply  that 
faith  was  necessary  to  the  operation  of  the  healing  power  of 
Jesus. 

"  What  a  blessing  to  Nazareth,  to  its  sick  and  discouraged, 
to  its  little  children,  the  home-coming  of  Jesus  might  have 
been!  li  we  are  ever  tempted  to  be  jealous  we  need  to  re- 
member that  the  jealous  man  always  does  an  injury  to  his 
own  nature,  and  may  in  addition  deprive  himself  of  some 
great  specific  good."  ^ 

It  is  sad  that  the  real  appreciation  of  many  great  men  has 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used   by   permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 

75 


76  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

first  come  from  a  people  not  their  own.  Thus  it  has  been  in 
art,  science,  and  literature ;  here  we  have  the  supreme  example 
in  religion. 


Study  VII.  Second  Day 

Jesus  Sends  Out  the  Twelve.     Mark  6:  7-13;  Matt. 

10 :  5-42  ;  Luke  9 :  1-6 

Jesus,  at  this  point,  sent  out  the  disciples  on  a  tour  of 
preaching,  very  likely  to  develop  them  for  future  service. 
He  was  not  particularly  concerned,  at  this  time,  with  the  fur- 
ther extension  of  His  message.  He  was  more  concerned  in 
developing  His  disciples  for  leadership  after  His  earthly  life 
was  ended.  The  tour  was  to  be  a  short  one  and  the  principal 
theme  of  their  message  was  probably  the  immediate  approach 
of  the  Kingdom. 

They  were  to  go  meagerly  equipped,  probably  because  "  it 
was  a  picturesque  and  symbolical  way  of  saying,  '  The  King- 
dom of  God  is  at  hand !  '  It  was  as  though  a  man  without  hat 
or  coat  or  shoes  should  ride  down  the  valley  telling  the  vil- 
lagers that  the  reservoir  in  the  hills  had  broken  its  banks. 
Do  you  see  other  reasons  for  their  meager  equipment? 

"  They  were  not  to  go  from  house  to  house  engaging  in  the 
protracted  and  time-consuming  social  functions  of  the  oriental 
village,  but  were  to  stay  with  one  family  and  be  constantly 
about  their  business  (v.  10)   .  .  . 

"  If  any  village  did  not  receive  their  message  regarding  the 
nearness  of  the  Kingdom,  they  were  to  employ  the  common 
symbolism  of  the  east  and  shake  off  every  particle  of  dust 
from  their  sandals.  This  would  show  that  they  regarded  the 
village  as  doomed  and  wished  no  particle  of  it  to  adhere  to 
their  persons.  Their  action  and  dress  were  suggestive  of  the 
picturesque  symbolism  in  manner  and  dress  often  employed  by 
the  prophets  of  old.  Indeed,  these  men  were  very  like 
prophets  in  their  message  and  services."  ^ 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copj-righted 
1Q04.     Used  by   permission    of  the   Association    Press.     New    York. 


77ze  Instructions  of  Jesus  to  the   Twelve  77 


Study  VIL  Third  Day 

The  Instructions  of  Jesus   to  the  Twelve.     Matt. 

10:  16-42 

Matthew's  habit  of  grouping  discourses  logically  related, 
is  seen  again  in  the  preliminary  instructions  of  Jesus  to  the 
disciples  in  Matthew  10:  16-42. 

The  whole  discourse  breathes  the  atmosphere  of  the  early 
church,  yet  the  central  thoughts  are  probably  those  of  Jesus. 
Vv.  16-23  are  clearly  a  description  of  the  conditions  of  the 
early  church,  and  yet  how  often  have  vv.  21-22  been  re- 
peated over  and  over  again  as  the  cross  of  Christ  has  stead- 
ily advanced  in  the  world. 

Read  vv.  24-25  and  realize  that  Jesus  did  not  ask  His  fol- 
lowers to  do  anything  which  He  Himself  did  not  do.  He 
does  not  direct  from  the  rear.  His  commands  are  not,"  Ad- 
vance to  yonder  point!"  but  always,   "Follow   J\le !  " 

Vv.  Z~~2)Z  have  been  often  misconstrued  by  many  sincere 
people.  "To  confess  Christ"  was  to  speak  in  the  young  peo- 
ples' meeting,  or  to  lead  in  public  prayer.  To  keep  silence 
after  the  meeting  was  opened  for  testimony  was  "  to  be 
ashamed  of  or  to  deny  Christ."  We  deny  Christ  not  by 
our  inaptitude  or  inability  to  speak  in  a  public  religious  meet- 
ing; we  deny  Him  by  playing  dirty  football,  by  cheating  in 
examinations,  by  living  self-centered  lives  of  easy  indul- 
gence, by  gambling,  by  wasting  our  money  and  our  time,  by 
compromising  with  evil,  by  failing  to  offer  our  li\es  when 
duty  clearly  calls. 

"  Then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  you  :  depart 
from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity." 

Read  10:34.  Jesus  here  expresses  membership  in  the  King- 
dom in  terms  of  active  warfare.  Try  to  abolish  the  vice  dis- 
trict, or  destroy  the  "  pork-barrel  "  of  corrupt  politicians,  and 
you  will  realize  that  Jesus  came  not  to  send  peace  but  a  sword. 
To  live  right  means  a  struggle.  To  fight  entrenched  evil  may 
even  result  in  death. 


78  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

Study  VII.  Fourth  Day 

The  Instructions  of  Jesus  to  the  Twelve  (con- 
cluded).    Matt.    10 :  16-42 

Read  Matthew  10:35-39.  The  followers  of  Christ  in  non- 
Christian  lands  realize  the  truth  of  vv.  35-36.  To  us,  it  is 
those  who  are  afraid  to  fight  for  civic  reforms  for  fear  of 
offending  associates  in  business,  those  who  set  aside  the  call 
of  foreign  missions  on  account  of  the  selfish  opposition  of 
parents  and  friends,  who  are  not  worthy  of  Christ. 

Read  10:37.  Jesus  does  not  tell  any  one  to  neglect  his 
family,  or,  after  assuming  the  obligations  of  married  life, 
to  neglect  wife  and  children  to  do  religious  work.  No  one 
was  more  concerned  with  the  proper  care  of  the  family  than 
Jesus.  The  circumstance  that  the  name  of  Joseph  is  not 
mentioned  in  any  accounts  except  those  of  the  early  life  of 
Jesus  probably  indicates  that  Joseph  died  when  Jesus  was 
very  young.  Until  His  brothers  were  grown,  Jesus  was, 
no  doubt,  the  main  support  of  His  family.  John  says  that, 
even  on  the  cross.  He  did  not  forget  to  provide  for  the 
care  of  His  mother.  It  is  those  who  are  turned  aside  from 
doing  the  will  of  God  by  selfish  considerations  of  family  that 
Jesus   is  here  addressing. 

"  He  that  doth  not  take  his  cross  and  follow  after  me, 
is  not  worthy  of  me."  Jesus  follows  this  statement  with  that 
in  V.  39,  one  of  those  paradoxical  utterances  in  which  He 
expresses  a  great  truth  in  few  words.  He  who  throws  his 
life  into  some  great  cause  with  reckless  abandon  finds  his 
inward  life  enriched  and  deepened.  He  who  seeks  the  easy 
life,  rather  than  the  best,  finds  his  soul  clogged  with  fatty 
degeneration.  Horace  Tracy  Pitkin  threw  away  his  life  in 
China  when  he  might  have  lived  for  years  in  a  comfortable 
home  in  America.  But  in  losing  his  life  in  China,  he  found 
that  inward  enrichment  of  life  which  comes  only  through  do- 
ing the  will  of  God.  "  Lao-man,"  he  said,  to  the  faithful 
Chinese  as  he  realized  that  death  was  near,  "  tell  the  mother 
of  little  Horace  to  tell  Horace  that  his  father's  last  wish  was 
that  when  he  is  twenty-five  years  of  age,  he  should  come  to 
China  as  a  missionary." 


The  Instructions  of  Jesus  to  the   Twelve         79 

Coningsby  Dawson  wrote  from  the  battlefield  in  France  in 
nineteen  hundred  and  sixteen,  "  Yet,  for  all  the  damnability  of 
what  I  now  witness,  I  was  never  quieter  in  my  heart.  To 
have  surrendered  to  an  imperative  self-denial  brings  a  peace 
which  self-seeking  ne\-er  brought,"  and  again  in  nineteen  hun- 
dred and  seventeen,  "  This  war  is  a  prolonged  moment  of 
exultation  for  most  of  us  —  we  are  redeeming  ourselves  in 
our  own  eyes.  To  lay  down  one's  life  for  one's  friend  once 
seemed  impossible.  All  that  is  altered.  We  lay  down  our 
lives  that  the  future  generations  may  be  good  and  kind,  and 
so  we  can  contemplate  oblivion  with  quiet  eyes."  ^ 

Jesus  emphasizes  again,  in  the  foregoing  verses,  that  doing 
the  will  of  God  should  come  first  in  the  life  of  a  man.  Neither 
business,  family  considerations,  social  position,  nor  selfish 
desires  should  be  allowed  to  iiiterfere. 

Read  10 :  40-42.  In  v.  42,  Jesus  glorifies  the  simple,  every- 
day acts  of  kindness  and  courtesy.  Many  so-called  Christian 
men  are  inconsiderate  of  their  wives.  They  are  liberal  to  the 
poor,  they  are  courteous  in  public,  they  are  good  churchmen, 
they  speak  from  the  pulpit  occasionally,  but  they  fail  to  show 
that  unselfish  kindliness  which  should  animate  the  everyday 
routine  of  domestic  and  public  life. 

Many  men  quiet  their  consciences  by  giving  to  charitable 
organizations,  homes  for  the  outcast,  and  newsboys'  clubs, 
while  paying  their  employees  less  than  a  living  wage,  and 
tolerating  corrupt  practices,  which  aid  in  producing  degraded 
conditions.  The  "  little  ones  "  of  Jesus  are  not  only  the  chil- 
dren but  the  underfed,  the  over-worked,  the  ignorant,  and 
the  handicapped,  who  bear  more  than  their  share  of  taxation, 
and  carry  the  burdens  of  an  unjust  industrial  system. ^ 

1  Carry  On.  Coningsby  Dawson.  Copyrighted  19 17.  Used  by  per- 
mission of  the  John   Lane   Company.     New  York. 

2  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New  York. 


8o  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

.    Study  VII.  Fifth  Day 

The  Execution  of  John  the  Baptist.     Mark  6:  14- 
29;  Matt.   14:1-12;   Luke  9:7-9 

The  fame  of  Jesus  spread  even  to  the  court  of  Herod. 
The  effect  on  Herod  gave  Mark  an  opportunity  to  insert  an 
account  of  the  beheading  of  John  the  Baptist  which  occurred 
perhaps  soon  after  Jesus  began  His  ministry. 

John,  the  fearless  prophet  of  the  wilderness,  dared  to  de- 
nounce the  sin  of  Herod  even  to  his  face.  Herod  had,  living 
with  him,  the  wife  of  his  brother.  The  finger  of  the  prophet 
had  been  pointed  at  the  ruler  in  accusation.  The  sensual 
Herod  had  trembled  before  John  with  a  smitten  conscience. 
The  effect  on  his  unlawful  wife  was  almost  entirely  the  op- 
posite. Herodias,  the  crafty,  voluptuous,  ambitious  woman 
was  filled  with  relentless  hatred  toward  the  prophet  and  de- 
termined to  kill  him.     Read  Mark  6:  14-29. 

Picture  the  scene  in  the  court  at  the  time  of  the  birthday 
feast.  The  sumptuous  food,  the  flowing  wine,  the  blazing 
lights,  the  gorgeous  apparel  gave  an  effect  of  magnificence. 
While  flushed  with  wine,  the  sensual  dancing  of  the  daughter 
of  his  brother  brings  forth  from  Herod  the  extravagant 
promise  in  v.  22.  This  promise  presented  an  opportunity  for 
which  Herodias  had  been  looking.  She  told  her  daughter 
to  ask  for  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Perhaps  the  noblest  and  best  types  of  human  beings,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  lowest  and  most  degraded,  are  to  be  found 
among  women.  It  has  been  remarked  that  a  woman  can  love, 
a  woman  can  hate,  a  woman  can  be  an  angel,  a  woman  can 
be  a  devil. 

While  the  drunken  revelry  fills  the  banquet  hall,  the  creak- 
ing of  a  cell  door  is  heard  in  another  part  of  the  castle ;  then 
comes  the  sharp  thud  of  the  executioner's  ax,  and  the  Herald 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  no  more. 

"  Imagine  the  spiteful  woman  and  her  daughter  looking  at 
the  ghastly  head  and  blood-clotted  hair  of  the  great  prophet. 
What  an  end  for  the  greatest  of  God's  prophets !  A  bad  man 
is  made  over  into  a  loyal  son  of  God,  and  a  bad  world  is  made 


The  Feeding  of  the  Five   Thousand  8 1 

over  into  the  Kingdom  of  God,  only  through  suffering,  and 
to  each  one  who  would  give  himself  with  abandon  to  the  en- 
terprise some  measure  of  the  suffering  will  be  meted  out."  ^ 


Study  VII.  Sixth  Day 

The  Feeding  of  the  Five  Thousand,  Walking  on  the 

Water,  and  a  Visit  to  Gennesaret.     Mark 

6:30-56;  Matt.  14:  13-36;  Luke  9:  10-17 

Read  Mark  6 :  30-44.  The  disciples  returned  and  told 
Jesus  of  the  work  they  had  done  on  their  tour  of  preaching. 
As  people  were  continually  interrupting,  Jesus  took  His  dis- 
ciples apart  into  a  desert  place. 

What  an  ideal  program  for  our  own  lives  this  is.  First,  to 
receive  instructions  from  Jesus ;  then,  to  set  about  to  do  His 
bidding;  lastly,  to  return  to  tell  Him  all  we  have  done  or 
tried  to  do  and  to  receive  strength  by  resting  awhile  in  quiet 
with  Him. 

Mark  follows  this  with  an  account  of  the  feeding  of  the 
great  multitude.  .It  is  no  wonder  that  the  heart  of  Jesus' over- 
flowed with  compassion  as  He  looked  at  the  crowd.  They 
were  seeking  they  knew  not  what.  How  He  longed  for  them 
to  realize  in  their  lives  the  highest  ideals ;  how  He  longed  for 
them  to  be  filled  with  real  joy;  how  He  longed  to  bring  them 
into  fellowship  with  the  Father;   but  they  would  not. 

This  miracle  is  discussed  in  Study  XV.  At  this  time  note 
that  it  is  evident  from  v.  37  that  the  previous  miracles  of 
Jesus  had  not  so  impressed  the  disciples  that  they  thought  He 
could  actually  feed  five  thousand  people  with  little  or  no 
provision. 

Whatever  our  view  of  the  miracles,  let  us  not  lose  the 
spiritual  value  contained  in  them.  In  the  feeding  of  the  five 
thousand,  notice  "  that  Jesus  made  His  apostles  feel  responsi- 
bility for  feeding  the  crowd  (v.  37)  ;  made  them  take  ac- 
count of  all  their  resources  (v.  38)  ;  made  them  bring  all  their 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the  Association    Press.     New   York. 


82  Jesus  a?id  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

very  meager  resources  to  Him  (v.  41)  ;  and  then  through  His 
blessing  made  these  resources  more  than  adequate  to  the 
need  (vv.  42-43).  The  five  thin  cakes  of  bread  and  the  two 
little  dried  fish  answered  abundantly."  ^  Read  Mark  6:45-56. 
" '  He  gave  to  the  disciples  to  set  before  them.'  The 
supreme  values  that  we  have  to  give  our  friends  are  the  things 
that  come  to  us  from  association  with  Jesus  Christ.  Whether 
we  have  much  to  ofi'er  them  day  by  day  depends  upon  what  we 
are  getting  of  thought  and  inspiration  day  by  day  from  Him. 
The  more  we  give,  the  more  we  have.  When  the  crowd 
was  satisfied,  each  apostle  found  his  own  basket  full  (v.  43)."  ^ 


Study  VII.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

1.  Jesus  was  rejected  at  Nazareth  because  His  own  boy- 
hood friends  and  the  older  people  who  had  known  Him  since 
infancy  were  jealous  of  His  fame.  Do  you  discount  the  suc- 
cess of  your  friends  on  account  of  jealousy  by  saying  it  was 
"  pull,"  or  "  bootlicking,"  or  "  crookedness,"  which  pushed 
them  to  the  front?  Would  you  do  everything  you  could  to 
get  a  man  out  for  football  if  you  knew  he  would  beat  you 
out  for  the  team?  Are  you  working  as  hard  for  the  success 
of  the  team  notwithstanding  that,  although  deserving  the  cap- 
taincy, you  were  defeated  by  "  college  politics  "  ? 

2.  Jesus  sent  forth  His  disciples,  although  He  could  have 
done  the  work  much  better  Himself.  Let  us  realize  in  our 
Christian  work  that  we  are  not  to  develop  a  program,  we  are 
to  develop  men.  The  ideal  Christian  worker  is  not  the  man 
w'ho  can  only  do  the  work  himself ;  he  is  the  man  who  can 
also  get  others  to  work. 

3.  Some  students,  it  is  true,  fail  to  confess  Christ  because 
of  cowardice.  They  have  stood  with  the  other  crowd  so  long 
that  they  lack  the  courage  to  stand  out  openly  before  the 
world  as  a  follower  of  Him. 

4.  Would  you  give  up  a  life  work  as  a  missionary  in  China 

1  S.tudies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 


Review  83 

or  India  if  your  father  were  to  disinherit  you  for  volunteer- 
ing? 

5.  The  trouble  with  most  men  is  that  they  do  not  undertake 
work  sufficiently  large.  They  are  contented  with  an  easy  task, 
and  cease  to  progress.  Be  sure  the  life  work  you  have  planned 
is  large  enough  for  you  to  lose  yourself  in  it.  Henry  Martyn 
wrote  in  his  diary,  two  days  after  beginning  his  ministry  to 
the  natives  and  Europeans  of  North  India,  "  I  have  hitherto 
lived  to  little  purpose,  more  like  a  clod  than  a  servant  of  God ; 
now  let  me  burn  up  for  God."  Those  who  burn  up  for  God 
in  business,  law,  preaching,  teaching,  plumbing,  or  printing, 
find  themselves  really  living. 

"  That  low  man  seeks  a  little  thing  to  do, 

Sees  it  and  does  it ; 
This  high  man,  with  a  great  thing  to  pursue, 

Dies  ere  he  knows  it." 

Browning. 

6.  Is  it  better  to  break  a  bad  promise  or  to  keep  it? 

7.  Jesus  goes  to  the  mountain  top  to  pray  but  descends 
quickly  to  aid  His  disciples  in  distress.  Let  us  realize  that  our 
educational  advantages  are  not  to  make  us  feel  superior  to 
others ;  we  should  descend  from  everv  mountain  top  of  op- 
portunity for  service  in  the  valley  of  life. 


STUDY  VIII.    FIRST  DAY 

Jesus  Refutes  the  Casuistry  of  the  Rabbis.     Mark 

7:  1-23;  Matt.  15:  1-20 

Read  Mark  7 :  1-23.  "  The  '  tradition  '  was  the  inherited 
explanation  of  the  law.  The  later  view  of  its  origin  was  that 
God  gave  it  on  Mt.  Sinai,  either  in  written  or  oral  form,  but 
that  much  of  it  was  afterward  lost  and  had  to  be  restored  by 
the  rabbis.  The  older  view  was  that  God  gave  simply  the  law 
on  Mt.  Sinai,  which  involved  the  '  tradition,'  or  that  He  gave 
orally  the  leading  principles  of  the  tradition.  Practically,  the 
tradition  was  regarded  as  more  important  than  Scripture,  be- 
cause tradition  contained  all  the  precepts  of  the  law  in  the  form 
in  which  they  had  to  be  obeyed  in  order  to  secure  salvation. 
An  instance  of  the  tradition  was  the  requirement  that  persons 
coming  from  the  market  where  they  might  have  involuntarily 
touched  persons  or  things  connected  with  pagan  worship,  or 
other  religiously  defiling  objects,  must  purify  themselves.  .  .  . 
It  was  [also]  possible  for  a  man  to  say  that  a  piece  of  prop- 
erty was  '  Korban  '  or  '  given  to  God  '  so  far  as  a  certain  per- 
son was  concerned,  meaning  by  this  not  that  the  property 
would  actually  be  given  to  the  temple,  but  only  that  so  far  as 
the  person  mentioned  was  concerned,  the  property  was  to  be 
considered  as  though  given  to  the  temple.  The  reference  here 
is  to  a  person  who  pronounces  '  Korban '  over  all  his  property 
so  far  as  his  father  is  concerned  (v.  11),  thus  casting  off  all  re- 
sponsibility for  his  father's  support.  Apparently  he  was  then 
not  allowed  to  reassume  his  father's  support  if  he  wished  to  do 
so  (v.  12)."  1 

These  Pharisees,  then,  came  to  Jesus  with  the  objection  that 
His   disciples   were   eating  with   hands   ceremonially   unclean. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 

84 


Jesus  Refutes  the  Casuistry  of  the  Rabbis         85 

They  did  not  accuse  the  disciples  of  dishonesty  or  fraud  in 
securing  the  bread.  The  crime  consisted  in  the  manner  in 
which   the   bread   was   eaten. 

It  is  not  strange  that  Jesus  became  impatient  with  such 
quibbhng  as  this.  The  deep  principles  of  the  law  were  neg- 
kcted  by  these  Pharisees.  Read  again  the  reply  of  Jesus  in 
Mark  7 :  6-13.  The  trouble  with  the  Pharisees  was  that  they 
attempted  to  deceive  themselves  and  others  by  living  legally 
correct  lives  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  continually 
violated  the  fundamental  spirit  of  the  law.  Imagine  a  man 
parading  before  the  community  as  righteous  and  honorable 
while  neglecting  his  parents  in  need,  and  justifying  such  an 
action  on  the  ground  of  some  legal  technicality.  Yet  to-day 
men  lie  and  steal,  and  try  to  justify  themselves  with  the  ex- 
cuse that  it  is  legal.  How  many  men  bargain  with  a  man 
for  one  thing,  and  then  trick  him  into  signing  a  paper  for 
something  else.  How  many  lawyers  do  everything  legally  in 
their  power  to  defeat  the  ends  of  justice  for  a  dishonest 
client.  How  many  legislators  who  would  not  receive  a  bribe, 
accept  a  yearly  retainer's  fee  from  a  corporation  or  indi- 
vidual, when  they  know  it  is  only  their  legislative  influence 
that  is  paid  for.  How  many  college  students  violate  the 
spirit  of  eligibility  rules  by  flimsy  technicalities.  Legality  is 
not  a  justification  for  a  wrong  deed.  Neither  ritual,  tradi- 
tion, custom,  nor  laws  can  make  right  a  fraud. 

Read  now  Mark  7 :  14-23.  The  last  clause  of  v.  19  is  an  in- 
sertion by  Mark  which  gives  a  hint  as  to  the  date  of  the 
Gospel.     See  Acts  10:  14. 

Jesus,  in  these  verses,  again  emphasizes  the  fact  that  the 
motives  and  thoughts  of  a  man  primarily  determine  his  char- 
acter. "  As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he."  The  laws 
of  society  punish  the  act.  Jesus  went  deeper  and  decided  the 
penalty  by  the  inward  motive. 

Here  Jesus  again  emphasizes  that  religious  worship,  church 
membership,  orthodoxy  of  belief  are  not  to  be  made  into 
fetishes.  They  are  worthless  unless  they  produce  within  us 
kindness,  justice,  and  honor. 

Last  of  all,  Jesus  emphasizes  that  He  came  not  to  teach  us 
a  collection  of  rules  or  a  code  of  maxims  which  we  are  to  ap- 
ply to  the  details  of  conduct.     He  came  to  make  men  pure 


86  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

and  true.  "  What  he  taught,"  said  Robert  Louis  Stevenson, 
"  was  not  a  code  of  rules,  but  a  loving  spirit ;  not  truths,  but 
a  spirit  of  truth;  not  views,  but  a  view."  ^ 

He  came  to  give  us  eternal  principles  of  life  and  to  relate 
us  to  God.  If  a  man's  life  was  inwardly  right,  Jesus  did 
not  concern  Himself  over  the  man's  maxims  of  conduct.  Let 
us  not  leave  the  commandments  of  God  and  hold  fast  the  tradi- 
tion of  men. 

"Jesus  esteemed  the  great  things  of  life  to  be  the  common- 
place things.  No  religious  system,  no  matter  how  gorgeous 
its  paraphernalia,  how  refined  its  metaphysical  distinctions,  or 
how  minute  its  rules  of  righteousness,  could  stand  before  Him 
for  a  moment  if  it  failed  in  the  simple  point  of  honor  to 
parents.  Religion  and  life  were  inseparable,  and  life  was  at 
its  fullest  in  such  elemental  personal  relationships  as  those 
between  parent  and  child.  Have  you  ever  definitely  reflected 
upon  what  is  due  the  parent  from  the  child,  and  carefully  con- 
sidered whether  you  are  really  '  honoring '  your  father  and 
mother?     What  is  it  to  'honor'  a  person?  "2 


Study  VIII.  Second  Day 

Jesus  Leaves  Galilee  and  Spends  His  Time  with  the 

Disciples  in  the  Outside  Provinces.     Mark 

7:24-30;  Matt.  11:20-24 

At  this  point,  Jesus  reached  a  crisis  in  His  life.  After  a 
period  of  great  popularity.  His  teachings  became  so  offensive 
to  the  religious  leaders  that  (Mark  3:6)  they  determined  to 
kill  Him.  The  opposition  grew  in  intensity  until  the  Pharisees 
proclaimed  Him  Beelzebub,  in  order  to  turn  the  masses  against 
Him.  Finally  Herod  himself  became  suspicious,  and  Jesus 
determined  to  leave  Galilee  in  order  that  His  work  as  well  as 
Himself  might  not  perish  at  this  time.     The  woes  in  Matthew 

1  Quoted  from  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.  F.  G.  Pea- 
body.     The    Macmillan    Company.     New    York. 

2  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 


Jesus  Leaves  Galilee  87 

I  r  :  20-24  were  probably  pronounced  during  these  days.  Read 
Matthew  11  :  20-24. 

"  It  was  not  a  curse  which  Jesus  pronounced  upon  these 
scenes  of  his  activity ;  it  was  rather  a  statement  of  fact  put 
in  the  characteristic  oriental  form  of  a  lament.  A  great  op- 
portunity had  come  to  their  citizens,  but  most  of  them  had 
rejected  it.  Jesus  had  longed  and  labored  to  lay  in  these 
favored  centers  the  corner-stone  of  God's  kingdom  on  earth. 
He  had  sought  to  banish  from  their  streets  all  pain  and  igno- 
rance and  sin.  He  had  yearned  to  teach  young  and  old  alike 
how  they  might  find  that  peace  and  joy  and  fullness  of  life 
which  he  knew  would  be  theirs  if  they  would  but  turn  from 
their  sins  and  follies  and  learn  to  love  and  serve  their  heav- 
enly Father  with  all  their  powers  and  their  neighbors  as  them- 
selves. Here  he  had  hoped  to  found  a  perfect  community. 
Jesus'  words  reveal  the  intensity  of  his  desire  to  realize  this 
ideal  and  his  tragic  sense  of  failure. 

"  Apparently  only  once,  and  possibly  only  for  a  few  hours, 
did  he  return  to  Capernaum.  His  task  from  this  time  on  was 
to  perfect  the  training  and  the  faith  of  the  few  who  were 
loyal  to  him.  In  accomplishing  this  task,  private  conversation 
takes  the  place  of  public  address.  Deliberate  choice,  as  well 
as  necessity,  led  him  to  seek  for  this  new  work  a  quiet  field 
beyond  the  authority  of  Herod  Antipas  where  the  leaven  of 
the  Pharisees  could  not  permeate.  This  place  of  temporary 
refuge  was  found  among  the  lofty  hills  of  upper  Galilee,  in 
closest  touch  with  the  land  and  people  whom  Jesus  loved,  but 
out  of  reach  of  his  foes."  ^ 

Study  VIII.  Third  Day 

Jesus  Cures  a  Deaf-Mute,  Feeds  the  Four  Thou- 
sand, and  Warns  the  Disciples  Against  Insin- 
cerity.    Mark  7:31-8:21;  Matt.   15:29-16:12 

Read  Mark  7:31-8:  10.  We  shall  not  discuss  these  records 
of  curing  the  deaf-mute  and  feeding  the  four  thousand  at  this 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New  York. 


88  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

time.  Notice  in  passing,  the  method  of  Jesus  in  curing  the 
mute,  vv.  33-34- 

Read  Mark  8:11-21.  Jesus  sighed  deeply  in  spirit.  Is 
it  not  marvelous  that  Jesus  did  not  quit  His  work  in  despair? 
He  had  spoken  the  truth  to  men,  He  had  lived  a  life  of  loving 
service  among  them,  but  men  were  so  selfish  and  so  blinded 
by  greed  that  many  could  not  comprehend  His  mission. 
Many  scorned  Him,  and  those  whose  possessions  were  endan- 
gered by  His  message  were  willing  to  attempt  any  expedient 
to  crush  Him. 

These  Pharisees  in  vv.  11-13  did  not  openly  antagonize  Jesus 
but  under  the  guise  of  a  reasonable  question  tried  to  alienate 
His  followers.  "  You  have  made  many  striking  state- 
ments," they  said,  "  and  in  order  that  we  may  know  you  are 
from  God,  give  us  a  sign.  Let  a  voice  come  from  the  clouds ; 
or,  do  you  throw  yourself  from  the  housetop  without  injury." 
They  would  not  have  believed,  if  both  events  had  taken  place. 
It  was  not  the  truth,  but  the  destruction  of  Jesus,  that  they 
were  seeking.  They  pretended  to  ask  a  sincere  question,  but 
their  motives  were  insincere.  This  pretense,  this  hypocrisy 
was  probably  what  Jesus  warned  His  disciples  against  in  vv. 
14-21.  "  The  figure  of  leaven  was  well  chosen.  It  was 
hidden,  pervasive,  contagious,  and  transforming.  It  suggests 
the  shrug  of  the  shoulder,  the  sarcastic  question,  the  poison- 
ous libel  whereby  these  now  sworn  foes  of  Jesus  endeavored 
to  destroy  the  effect  of  his  work  with  the  people."  ^ 

Yet  the  disciples  are  spiritually  dull.  "  Is  it  because  we 
have  no  bread  that  He  speaks  about  yeast?"  they  ask  among 
themselves.  There  is  a  note  of  sad  disappointment  in  vv.  17 
and  21.  "Do  you  not  perceive  either?"  said  Jesus.  "Is 
there  no  one,  no  one,  who  understands?"  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  Jesus  spent  an  entire  night  with  His  Father  in  prayer? 

Mark  8:11-21  throws  interesting  light  on  the  miracles. 
If  all  the  miracles  had  occurred  literally,  as  is  commonly 
supposed,  the  writer  does  not  believe  that  the  Pharisees  would 
have  asked  for  a  sign  in  order  to  alienate  the  followers  of 
Jesus,  when  so  many  signs  had  already  been  given.  It  also 
seems  that  the  feeding  of  the  multitude  did  not  so  impress 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New  York, 


Jesus  Cures  a  Blind  Man  89 

the  disciples  but  that  they  wondered  if  Jesus  were  condemn- 
ing them  for  not  bringing  bread  for  the  trip  when  He  men- 
tioned the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees. ^  These  points  are  dis- 
cussed in  detail  in  Study  XV. 


Study  VIII.  Fourth  Day 

Jesus  Cures  a  Blind  Man.     The  Confession  of  Peter. 
Mark  8:  22-30;  Matt.  16:  13-20;  Luke  9:  18-21 

Read  Mark  8 :  22-26.  Notice  in  the  cure  recorded  here  the 
customary  means  used  in  healing  the  man. 

Jesus  now  takes  His  disciples  on  a  journey  to  the  secluded 
district  of  Caesarea  Philippi.  Here  another  crisis  is  reached. 
The  popularity  of  Jesus  had  steadily  declined.  John  the 
Baptist  had  expressed  his  doubt  about  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus.  The  priests  had  determined  to  kill  Him  and  the 
treachery  of  Judas  was  perhaps  beginning  to  develop.  Now 
that  He  was  an  unpopular  fugitive,  Jesus  wished  to  know 
what  the  disciples  thought  of  Him  before  proceeding  with 
them  further.     Read  Mark  8  :  27-30. 

"  Thou  art  the  Christ."  Exactly  what  this  meant  to  Peter, 
it  is  impossible  to  determine.  The  intense  personality,  the 
fearless  manhood,  the  deep,  tender,  loving  spirit  of  Jesus  had 
drawn  and  held  the  disciples  to  Him.  Much  of  what  H'e 
said  was  incomprehensible.  Some  of  His  acts  or  sometimes 
His  failure  to  act  were  inexplicable.  But  He  Himself  held 
them  and  they  yet  believed  He  would  restore  the  Kingdom  to 
Israel.  The  spiritual  significance  of  His  message  was  only 
partially  understood  by  them  and  the  rebuke  of  Peter  in  8 :  32 
and  the  request  of  James  and  John  in  Mark  10 :  35  show  that 
they  still  looked  for  the  material  kingdom.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  seemingly  inconsistent  conduct  of  Jesus  as  a  Messi- 
anic aspirant,  they  clung  to  Him  as  the  fulfillment  of  the 
highest  hopes  of  Israel  and  confidently  believed  Him  to  be  the 
Messiah. 

The  account  of  Matthew  of  the  confession  of  Peter  con- 

1  The  Gospel  History  and  Its  Transmission.  F.  C.  Burkitt.  T.  and 
T.  Clark.     The  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     New  York, 


90  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

tains  an  addition,  Matthew  16:18-19,  which,  it  seems  to  the 
writer,  is  clearly  a  reflection  of  the  views  and  beliefs  of  the 
early  church.      (See  references  6  and  21.) 

V.  30.     "  He  charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man  of 
him."     Why  ? 


Study  VIII.  Fifth  Day 

Jesus  Tells  the  Disciples  of  the  Inevitable  End 
Awaiting  Him.  The  Rebuke  of  Peter.  Mark 
8 :  31-9 :  I ;  Matt.  16 :  21-28 ;  Luke  9 :  22-27 

Assured  of  the  loyalty  of  the  disciples,  Jesus  began  to  tell 
them  of  the  inevitable  end  of  His  earthly  life.  He  had  realized 
that  "  to  continue  his  work  in  Galilee  was  impossible,  for  it 
meant  the  increased  opposition  of  the  Pharisees  and  probably 
imprisonment  and  death  at  the  hands  of  Herod.  To  seek  per- 
manent refuge  in  a  foreign  land  meant  inevitable  failure  and 
disgrace,  for  it  was  equivalent  to  abandoning  his  ideals  and 
followers.  ...  To  perform  his  mission  he  must  face  Israel's 
leaders,  declare  himself  at  Jerusalem,  and,  if  need  be,  die  for 
the  truth  which  he  proclaimed.  .  .  .  His  lament  over  Chora- 
zin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum,  and,  later,  over  Jerusalem, 
leave  no  doubt  that  he  had  ardently  hoped  that  the  outcome 
would  be  different.  His  prayer  in  Gethsemane  shows  beyond 
doubt  that  he  at  times  prayed  'that  he  might  not  be  obliged  to 
drink  the  bitter  cup  of  suffering  and  seeming  failure ;  but  as  a 
careful  student  of  the  H  Isaiah  and  of  the  larger  book  of  life, 
he  recognized  that  the  way  in  which  the  servant  of  Jehovah 
was  to  perform  his  task  was  the  way  of  seeming  shame  and 
of  patient  suffering  and  of  complete  self-sacrifice."  ^  Read 
Mark  8:  31-9:  i- 

Yet  how  inconsistent  was  this  with  the  popular  Messianic 
idea.  The  Messiah  was  not  to  be  put  to  death,  he  was  to  rule. 
Peter  naively  takes  Jesus  aside  and  remonstrates  with  Him 
that  it  is  "  poor  politics "  to  talk  about  His  death.  Such 
statements   will   drive  people   from   Him.     No   man   wants   to 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  19 13. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     New  York, 


Jesus  is  Concerned  About  All  of  the  Disciples       91 

risk  his  life  in  an  unsuccessful  venture.  In  the  sugges- 
tion of  Peter,  Jesus  sees  the  awfulness  of  the  third  tempta- 
tion come  before  Him  again  —  seek  success  by  scheming  and 
not  by  sacrifice.  Is  it  any  wonder  He  rebuked  Peter  so  un- 
sparingly? 

The  prediction  about  rising  again  in  three  days  is  probably 
an  addition  by  the  evangelist  who  wrote  the  gospel  in  the 
light  of  subsequent  events.  "  Jesus  never  claimed  to  be  a 
seer."  1     See  Mark  13:32. 

Study  VIII.  Sixth  Day 

Jesus    Is    Concerned    About   All   of   the    Disciples. 

Mark  8 :  34-9 :  i 

Read  Mark  8:34-9:  i.  How  strange  and  paradoxical  these 
words  of  Jesus  seemed.  Instead  of  the  triumphal  procession 
of  a  great  army  with  their  prancing  horses  and  flashing  armor, 
"Jesus  pictures  Himself  leading  a  procession  of  men  out  to 
execution,  each  with  a  cross  on  his  shoulder."  -  And  yet  the 
discourse  closed  with  a  note  of  triumph  in  9:1.  It  was  diffi- 
cult for  the  disciples  to  reconcile  this  triumphant  note  with  the 
previous  allusion  of  Jesus  to  His  death.  Read  again  vv. 
35-37-  These  verses  have  been  discussed  somewhat  in  a  pre- 
vious study  but  it  is  well  to  recall  them.  It  is  only  by  losing 
our  temporal  life  in  service  that  we  can  find  our  inward 
life  enriched  to  the  uttermost.  A  tragedy  in  life  is  for 
a  man  to  starve  his  soul  for  the  profit  of  this  world. 
In  the  view  of  Jesus,  the  goal  for  which  we  should 
sacrifice  everything,  is  friendship  with  God.  The  man  who 
for  fame  or  money  or  influence  turns  a  deaf  ear  to  the  voice 
of  God  within  him,  even  though  he  attain  his  end,  has  paid 
too  great  a  price  for  it.  "  If  a  man  were  gaining  a  legal 
title  to  all  the  real  estate  in  the  world  and  losing  his  capacity 
for  friendship,  ...  he  would  be  on  the  road  to  eternal 
pauperism."  -     The    disciples    had    yet    to    learn    that    we    tri- 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kenjt.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by   permission   of  the   Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 

2  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted, 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 


92  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

umph  by  sacrifice  of  self.  In  laying  down  our  life  for  a  prin- 
ciple, we  thereby  establish  it.  It  was  the  fear  that  the  disci- 
ples would  not  realize  this,  which  concerned  Jesus  at  this 
time. 

The  original  utterance  of  Jesus  in  v.  38  is  found  in  Mat- 
thew 10:33.  In  Mark  8:38  the  evangelist  has  transformed  it 
in  accordance  with  the  apocalyptic  beliefs  of  the  early 
church. 1 

Study  VIII.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

Thus  far  we  have  tried  to  avoid  the  discussion  of  anything 
in  these  studies  which  cannot  be  accepted  by  an  open-minded 
man. 

Jesus  appears  in  Galilee  preaching.  He  believes  in  God 
as  our  Father,  and  seeks  to  relate  men  in  friendship  with 
God,  The  grandeur  of  His  teachings,  which  is  also  pictured 
in  His  life,  pass  comprehension.  His  teachings  challenge  us 
to  heroic  service.  Although,  in  the  opinion  of  His  followers, 
He  does  not  always  take  advantage  of  His  opportunities,  and 
seems  to  predict  an  end  impossible  for  a  Messiah,  they  stand 
by  Him. 

1.  Do  you  look  at  the  sayings  of  Jesus  as  a  series  of  dis- 
connected maxims  which  are  to  be  applied  to  the  details  of 
conduct,  or  are  you  trying  to  grasp  the  great  principles  that 
Jesus  taught? 

2.  Would  you  vote  to  refuse  membership  in  the  church 
to  a  man  who  could  not  intellectually  accept  parts  of  the 
Apostles'  Creed,  yet  who  was  a  sincere  follower  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  living  a  Christlike  life? 

3.  Are  you  neglecting  father,  mother,  or  sister  on  the 
ground  that  >0u  have  sufficiently  done  your  duty  by  them? 

4.  Are  you  able  to  appreciate  the  worth  or  good  qualities 
of  an  enemy?  It  is  easier  to  criticize  a  church  not  your  own 
than  to  sincerely  appreciate  its  value. 

5.  "What  think  ye  of  Christ?"     No  man  is  ever  the  same 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  The  Charles 
Scribner's   Sons.     New  York. 


Review  93 

after  studying  the  life  of  Jesus.  We  are  either  better  or 
worse.  He  makes  a  decision  imperative.  We  either  accept 
or  reject  Him.  The  life  of  Jesus  meets  us  with  a  challenge 
which  must  be  obeyed  or  refused.     There  is  no  neutral  ground. 

6.  Do  you  ever  try  to  use  "  tact  "  or  "  diplomacy"  in  dealing 
with  a  definite  moral  question? 

7.  Do  you  dare  to  fight  a  losing  battle  for  right  regardless 
of  personal  consequence? 

8.  You  have  heard  the  expression  "  You  merely  throw  your 
vote  away  when  you  cast  it  for  so-and-so."  No  honest  vote 
is  ever  thrown  away.  No  life  is  ever  wasted  which  is  sacri- 
ficed in  service.  No  righteous  cause  is  ever  lost  when  men 
will  die  for  it. 

9.  What  is  your  goal  in  life?  "For  what  shall  it  profit  a 
man,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul?  " 


STUDY  IX.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Transfiguration.     Mark  9:  2-8;  Matt.  17:  1-13; 

Luke  9 :  28-36 

Six  days  intervene  between  the  transfiguration  and  the 
"  perplexity  into  which  Jesus  had  pkinged  His  disciples,"  1 
discussed  in  the  last  study.  It  was  an  exceedingly  critical 
week.  Jesus  was  evidently  preparing  Himself  to  face  the 
cross,  and  at  the  same  time,  "he  was  endeavoring  to  adjust 
his  followers  to  the  new  situation  and  to  give  them  a  true 
appreciation  of  the  real  task  of  the  Messiah  and  of  the  way 
in  which  that  task  must  be  accomplished."  ^  He  was  in  dan- 
ger now  of  having  them  leave  Him  altogether  and  abandon 
Him  as  so  many  others  had  done.  "  It  may  well  be,  as  some 
one  has  suggested,  that  during  this  critical  week  Jesus  told 
them  the  story  of  His  own  temptation  that  has  come  down 
to  us  in  Matt.  4.  He  may  also  have  told  them  of  the  dove 
and  the  heavenly  voice  at  the  baptism   (Mark  i  :  9-11). 

"  At  the  close  of  the  week,  Jesus  took  the  three  leaders  of 
the  inner  circle  up  into  a  mountain  for  a  night  ...  of 
prayer."  1     Read  Mark  9 :  2-8. 

The  story  is  told  in  the  form  of  a  parable  as  are  the  tempta- 
tion and  baptism.  The  audible  voice  and  the  actual  appear- 
ance of  Moses  and  Elijah,  the  writer  does  not  believe,  are  to 
be  interpreted  literally.  Jesus  evidently  endeavored  to  explain 
to  these  three  disciples  that  His  ideas  of  the  Kingdom  were 
exactly  in  accord  with  the  teachings  of  Moses  and  the  ex- 
pectations of  the  prophets  (v.  4).  The  intensity  of  His 
conviction,  the  grandeur  of  His  life,  the  nobility  of  His  char- 
acter seemed  to  glow  with  such  radiance  as  He  talked  with 
them,  that  they  were  lifted  out  of  themselves  (v.  5).     In  spite 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the  Association   Press.      New  York. 

2  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913- 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 

94 


Cure  of  the  Epileptic  Boy  95 

of  His  strange  views,  Peter,  James,  and  John  came  down 
from  the  mountain  convinced  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah  (v. 
7)   and  resolved  to  stand  by  Him  to  the  end. 

"  Although  these  leaders  would  not  tell  the  other  nine 
what  they  had  experienced  on  the  mountain  (Mark  9:9),  their 
own  unwavering  confidence  henceforth  in  Jesus'  Messiahship 
turned  the  scale,  and  from  this  time  on  the  whole  company 
anticipated  for  themselves  the  political  honors  of  the  coming 
Kingdom  with  entire  confidence  (Mark  9:33;  10:35-37)."! 


Study  IX.  Second  Day 

Cure  of  the  Epileptic  Boy.  A  Short  Visit  to  Gali- 
lee. The  Dispute  as  to  Who  Was  Greatest. 
Mark  9:9-37;  Matt.  17:14-18:6;  Luke  9:37- 
48 

Read  Mark  9:9-13.  Jesus  again  enjoins  secrecy  upon  the 
disciples.  If  He  had  permitted  the  disciples  to  mention  His 
Messiahship,  they  would  probably  have  recruited  followers 
and  enlisted  support  in  order  to  be  prepared  when  the  Mes- 
sianic demonstration  occurred.  Their  activity  would  have 
brought  matters  to  a  crisis  quickly.  Jesus  wished  to  let 
events  take  their  own  course  and  at  the  same  time  to  prevent 
the  disciples  from  securing  follow;ers  on  a  false  basis. 
H  He  had  permitted  them  to  publish  the  fact  of  His  Mes- 
siahship, the  reaction  occasioned  by  His  death  would  have 
been  even  more  disheartening  to  them  than  it  was,  and  some 
of  them  would  never  have  been  reclaimed. 

Vv.  9-1 1  were  written,  the  writer  believes,  in  the  light  of 
subsequent  events. 

Read  Mark  9:  14-29.     Notice  vv.  24  and  29. 

Read  Mark  9 :  30-32.  Jesus  pays  a  short  visit  to  Galilee, 
and  as  He  comes  within  the  province  again.  He  naturally 
thinks  of  the  antagonism  of  the  Pharisees  and  Herod.  Once 
more.    He    warns    His    disciples    of    His    approaching    death. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association   Press.      New  York. 


96  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

This  time,  remembering  the  manner  in  which  Jesus  had  re- 
buked Peter,  the  twelve  were  afraid  to  ask  Him  for  any 
further  explanation  or  to  remonstrate  with  Him  in  any  way. 

Read  Mark  g:2)2)-2>7-  Notwithstanding  the  unselfish  life 
Jesus  had  lived,  notwithstanding  the  ideas  of  service  He  had 
tried  to  teach  the  disciples,  we  find  them  at  this  late  period 
arguing  as  to  who  was  the  greatest,  and  who  would  be  prime 
minister  when  the  Kingdom  was  established.  "  Let  those  of 
you,"  said  Jesus,  "  who  desire  to  be  great,  realize  that  great- 
ness comes  by  unselfish  service.  He  who  desires  greatness 
by  that  very  desire  shows  himself  incapable  of  true  greatness. 
But  he  who  forgetting  himself  and  caring  not  for  fame,  de- 
votes himself  to  others  with  no  expectation  of  reward,  al- 
ready possesses  greatness.  And  those  of  you  who  are  seek- 
ing favor  of  Peter,  James,  or  John  in  order  that  you  may 
profit  by  their  influence,  should  rather  begin  to  seek  favor  of 
those  who,  like  little  children,  cannot  reward  you.  In  serving 
them,  you  will  be  serving  me." 

Read  Luke  14:12-14,  as  a  further  illustration  of  this  last 
thought. 

"  The  extreme  simplicity  of  life  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven, 
as  Jesus  conceived  it,  is  evident  here.  The  Kingdom  is  an 
EMPIRE  OF  UNSELFISH  GOOD-WILL  exprcsscd  ill  the  ordinary  re- 
lationships of  life.  We  need  repeatedly  to  ask  ourselves.  Do 
I  enjoy  doing  for  those  who  can  make  no  return  in  kind? 
For  instance,  do  I  feel  an  increasing  degree  of  Jesus'  interest 
in  little  children?  "i 

Study  IX,  Third  Day 

The  Selfish  Misconception  of  the  Kingdom  Held 
by  the  Twelve  and  Their  Own  Danger  of  Fail- 
ing to  Enter  the  Kingdom.  Mark  9:38-50; 
Matt.  18:7-14;  Luke  9:49-50 

Read  Mark  9:38-40.  The  disciples  found  a  man  casting 
out    devils    by    using    the    name    of    Jesus    and    immediately 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904,     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association  Prers.     New  York. 


The  Selfish  Misconceptioti  of  the  Kingdom        97 

stopped  him.  "What  right  has  this  man  to  do  this?"  they 
ask  among  themselves.  "  He  is  not  one  of  us.  But  probably 
when  the  Kingdom  is  established  he  will  want  to  claim  his 
share  of  honor." 

The  disciples  had  not  yet  realized  the  universality  of  the 
message  of  Jesus  and  their  selfishness  prevented  them  from 
appreciating  the  work  and  purpose  of  this  man.  How  many 
of  us  are  such  followers  of  Him?  H  another  movement 
takes  a  few  members  from  our  Sunday  school,  church,  or 
Bible  class,  we  frequently  resent  it.  We  rarely  ask  our- 
selves, Can  this  other  organization  develop  Christlike  char- 
acter in  the  members  who  have  left  us  better  than  we  could 
have  done?  H  so,  let  us  be  thankful  that  the  new  move- 
ment started,  or  that  the  new  church  moved  into  our  neigh- 
borhood. Let  us  send  more  members  to  them.  The  statistics 
in  the  year  book  or  the  conference  minutes  will  indicate 
failure  in  our  work  but  the  Kingdom  will  be  further  ad- 
vanced. 

We  are  frequently  so  zealous  of  our  own  organization  that 
we  unconsciously  place  its  development  first,  giving  to  the 
Kingdom  of  our  Lord  a  secondary  position. 

Jesus  told  the  disciples  that  they  had  made  a  mistake. 
They  should  have  appreciated  that  the  purpose  of  the  man 
was  sincere.  Regardless  of  the  actual  results,  he  was  trying 
as  sincerely  to  build  up  the  Kingdom  as  the  disciples  them- 
selves. "  Moreover,"  continued  Jesus,  "  at  a  time  of  opposi- 
tion like  this,  no  one  would  dare  to  commend  my  work  or  use 
my  name  who  was  not  a  sincere  follower." 

Read  Mark  9 :  41-42.  "  The  most  trivial  service,"  continued 
Jesus,  "  rendered  in  an  unselfish  spirit  marks  a  man  just  so 
far  a  follower  of  mine.  As  for  any  one  who  by  ridicule,  jest, 
sarcasm,  or  seeming  superiority  disheartens  or  alienates 
a  follower  of  mine,  it  were  better  for  him  if  a  millstone  were 
hanged  about  his  neck  and  he  were  cast  into  the  sea." 

Read  Mark  9:43-50  in  which  Jesus  again  emphasizes  the 
importance  of  sacrificing  anything  in  our  lives  which  would 
prevent  us  entering  the  Kingdom.  The  meaning  of  '*  hell " 
or  "  Gehenna "  was  discussed  in  a  previous  study  and  need 
not  be  explained  here. 

Jesus  closes  this  warning  to  the  disciples  with  the  words, 


98  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

"  Be  at  peace  one  with  another."  Let  each  one  be  so  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  that  there  will  be  no  further 
disputes  about  who  is  greatest. 


Study  IX.  Fourth  Day 

The  Reply  of  Jesus  to  the  Question  of  Peter  Con- 
cerning Forgiveness,  and  the  Teaching  Regard- 
ing Marriage.  Mark  10:1-12;  Matt.  18:21- 
19:  12 

Peter  had  probably  been  the  leader  in  the  discussion  in 
Mark  9:33-34.  His  impetuous,  authoritative  manner  must 
have  antagonized  some  of  the  disciples  who  did  not  hesitate 
to  make  unkind  remarks  about  him,  Peter  evidently  felt  as 
if  he  had  been  unjustly  attacked  and  came  to  Jesus  with 
the  question  in  Matthew   18:21.     Read  Matthew   18:21-35. 

The  point  of  the  illustration  is  that  the  king  released  his 
servant  from  a  debt  of  ten  million  but  the  servant  in  turn 
cast  into  prison  a  man  who  owed  him  less  than  twenty  dollars. 
The  little  wrongs  done  us  which  we  forgive  are  so  trifling 
compared  with  our  sin  which  God  forgives,  after  our  re- 
bellion against  Him,  that  if  we  fail  to  forgive  we  are  as  un- 
grateful and  detestable  as  the  servant  of  the  king.  Imagine 
the  astonishment  of  Peter  when  he  grasped  the  meaning  of 
the  parable.  The  abuse  he  had  suffered  amounted  to  less 
than  twenty  dollars  but  God  had  forgiven  him  over  ten  mil- 
lion dollars.  No  matter  how  good  we  may  be,  we  have  in- 
finitely more  for  which  we  need  to  ask  forgiveness  than  we 
shall  ever  be  called  on  to  forgive.  We  are  to  show  the  same 
forgiving  spirit  to  others  as  our  Father  manifests  toward  us. 

Read  Mark  10:  1-12.  These  verses  were  studied  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Let  us  think  again  of 
the  sanctity  of  the  home  and  ask  ourselves  if  we  are  looking 
forward  toward  marriage  as  a  spiritual  and  mental  mating  oi 
two  persons  in  loving  comradeship,  in  order  that  the  little  ones 
may  be  nurtured  in  love  and  led  into  friendship  with  the 
Father. 


Jesus  Blesses  Little  Children  99 

Study  IX.  Fifth  Day 

Jesus  Blesses   Little  Children.     Mark   10:  13-16; 
Matt.  19:13-15;  Luke  18:15-17 

Read  Mark  10:13-16.  The  disciples  had  failed  to  realize 
that  Jesus  was  concerned  for  every  human  being.  The  in- 
finite value  of  every  individual  life  had  not  yet  become  a  basic 
principle  with  them.  They  did  not  rebuke  the  rich  young 
ruler  who  came  to  Jesus  but  attempted  to  push  aside  the 
children,  for  Jesus  was  too  busy,  they  thought,  to  be  troubled 
with  children.  One  can  almost  see  the  flash  of  indigna- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  Jesus  as  He  rebukes  them.  He  was  never 
so  busy  with  the  plans  or  organization  of  the  Kingdom  that 
He  did  not  have  time  to  attend  to  the  needs  of  the  least 
member  of  the  Kingdom.  IVIany  men  become  so  absorbed  in 
the  organization  of  Christian  forces  that  they  neglect  in  their 
own  home  or  among  their  own  friends  the  people  for  whom 
the  organization  is  intended. 

Moreover  Jesus  saw  in  the  childlike  mind  the  very  quality 
\iecessary  for  entrance  into  the  Kingdom.  It  is  emphasized 
in  the  first  Beatitude  —  the  quality  of  open-mindedness.  Re- 
ceptive as  they  are  to  the  truth,  easily  detecting  and  detesting 
sham,  unhampered  by  material  considerations,  it  is  to  the 
children  or  those  of  childlike  (not  childish)  spirit  that  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  belongs. 

Men  are  frequently  warped  and  biased  by  selfish  considera- 
tions. Many,  for  instance,  would  enter  the  church  —  but 
then  they  would  have  to  abandon  certain  questionable  busi- 
ness methods;  many  would  stand  against  wasteful  public 
expenditures  —  but  they  receive  their  largest  fees  from  dis- 
honest government  contractors  ;  many  would  fight  for  social 
reforms  —  but  they  are  afraid  of  losing  their  social  position. 
A  child  is  free  from  such  influences  and  faces  the  truth  with 
an  open  mind.  Jesus  "  took  them  in  his  arms  and  blessed 
them." 

"  Everything  that  Jesus  touched  He  permanently  dignified. 
The  sick,  who  had  before  been  neglected  and  abandoned,  since 
He  touched  them  are  gathered  into  hospitals.  The  cross, 
which    had    before    been    the    symbol    of    guilt,    horror,    and 


lOO  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

shame,  like  the  gallows,  since  He  touched  it  has  been  the 
symbol  of  loving  sacrifice  to  be  gilded  and  lifted  high  on 
church  spires  or  worn  in  miniature  upon  the  person.  Little 
children,  who  had  before  been  slightingly  thought  of,  since  He 
touched  them  have  become  the  objects  of  tender  regard.  The 
care  of  infants,  the  early  education  of  little  children,  engage 
the  attention  of  the  most  skillful  physicians  and  the  greatest 
educators.  In  the  New  Order  it  is  persons  that  receive  su- 
preme consideration  —  little  persons,  aged  persons,  sick  per- 
sons, outcast  persons,  any  kind  of  persons.  Are  you  coming 
to  feel  a  profound  interest  in  all  kind  of  persons?  "^ 


Study  IX.  Sixth  Day 

The  Rich  Young  Man  and  the  Warning  of  Jesus 

About  the  Peril  of  Riches.     Mark  lo:  17-31; 

Matt.  19:  16-30;  Luke  18:  18-30 

Read  Mark  10:  17-22.  The  disciples  were  no  doubt  de- 
lighted when  they  saw  this  wealthy  young  man  seeking  an 
interview  with  Jesus,  and  they  were  greatly  astonished  when 
Jesus  unnecessarily,  as  it  seemed  to  them,  sent  him  away  by 
making  such  a  severe  demand  of  him. 

Jesus  told  the  young  man,  first  of  all,  that  God  alone  was 
absolutely  good.  There  is  a  difference  between  sinlessness 
and  absolute  goodness.  We  find  no  trace  of  Jesus  ever  hav- 
ing confessed  sin.  If  He  had  been  guilty  of  sin  without  con- 
fession, it  would  have  shown  itself  in  His  conduct,  and  in 
such  a  case  the  disciples  would  have  unconsciously  recorded  it. 
But  we  find  Jesus  moving  forward  to  the  cross,  teaching, 
and  living  a  life  perfectly  consistent  with  a  disavowal  of  sin. 
To  be  absolutely  good,  however,  means  that  a  man  must  have 
absolute  knowledge.  He  must  know  what  is  the  final  stand- 
ard of  right  and  wrong  even  to  the  end  of  time.  Jesus  did 
not  profess  to  have  absolute  knowledge.  God  alone,  said 
Jesus,  possesses  such  absolute  knowledge  and  He  alone  is 
absolutely  good. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted, 
1904.     Used  by  permission  of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 


1  he  Rich  Young  Man  and  the  Warning  of  Jesus       lOl 

It  matters  little,  then,  if  Jesus  were  mistaken  in  His 
ideas  of  demoniac  possession  or  in  the  apocalyptic  dreams 
recorded  in  Mark  13.  He  enriched  the  world  not  so  much  by 
His  knowledge  as  by  His  life.  Jesus  absolutely  obeyed,  as 
far  as  we  know,  every  divine  prompting  within  Him,  He 
may  have  been  mistaken  regarding  material  facts  and  He  may 
have  even  misinterpreted  what  He  thought  were  divine 
promptings,  but  His  purposes,  and  His  obedience  to  the  will 
of  God,  as  He  saw  it,  were,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  absolutely 
perfect.  It  was  not  the  enumeration  of  a  few  psychological  or 
material  facts  which  made  Him  unique,  but  it  was  His  inner 
life,  His  motives.  His  spirit,  by  which  He  enriched  the  world 
and  made  Himself  even  to  this  day  an  object  of  adoration  and 
worship, 

Jesus  finds  that  this  young  man  with  all  his  wealth 
had  lived  a  clean,  honorable  life.  Young,  physically  strong, 
neatly  clothed,  upright  in  conduct,  thoughtful  of  his  parents, 
is  it  any  wonder  that  Jesus  loved  him?  But  the  young  man 
fell  short  of  the  best.  He  needed  to  take  his  life  and 
his  possessions  and  use  them  in  some  great  cause.  Alas,  he 
thought  more  of  his  wealth  than  of  anything  else.  He  was 
willing  to  follow  Jesus  to  a  certain  extent.  He  was  willing 
to  deny  himself  to  a  certain  point.  But  to  give  up  his 
wealth  was  asking  too  much. 

Jesus  did  not  regard  riches  as  evil  in  themselves.  But 
when  anything  except  the  will  of  God  becomes  the  dominant 
purpose  of  the  life  of  a  man,  it  is  to  be  cut  away.  It  is  not 
always  money.  It  may  be  political  position,  social  standing, 
ties  of  friendship  which  we  are  unwilling  to  break,  even  for 
the  opportunity  of  greater  service  to  God.  In  very  many 
cases  it  is  the  lure  or  possession  of  money  that  enslaves  men. 
"  Jesus'  teachings,  therefore,  are  very  clear :  the  acquisition 
and  possession  of  wealth  as  an  end  in  itself  means  slavery 
and  moral  blindness  for  the  individual,  injustice  to  society, 
and  disloyalty  to  God.  Regarded  as  a  trust  and  used  faith- 
fully for  the  service  of  God  and  man,  riches  have  their  im- 
portant place  in  the  kingdom  of  God."  ^     Read  Mark  10:  23-31. 

The  truth  of  the  proverb  in  v.  25  was  very  evident  in  the 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by   permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's  Sons.     New  York. 


I02  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

case  of  this  young  man  who,  though  possessing  great  pos- 
sibilities for  service  to  the  Kingdom  of  God,  could  not  sacri- 
fice his  wealth. 

Thus  it  is  to-day.  The  child-labor  laws  are  fought  by  those 
who  profit  from  the  labor  of  children;  honest  civic  adminis- 
tration is  fought  by  those  who  reap  the  spoils  of  corrupt  poli- 
tics ;  and  the  hardships  of  mission  work  are  usually  avoided 
by  the  sons  of  the  wealthy.  Wealth,  especially  inherited 
wealth,  is  a  curse  to  many  and  leads  to  indulgence  in  sin 
and  disintegration  of  spiritual  forces.  Truly  in  many  cases 
it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle, 
than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

For  those  who  make  the  material  sacrifice,  the  inward 
enrichment  of  their  lives  will  multiply  a  hundredfold. 

"This  is  the  gospel  of  labor  —  ring  it,  ye  bells  of  the  kirk  — 
The  Lord  of  Love  came  down  from  above,  to  live  with  the 

men  who  work. 
This   is  the   rose  that   He  planted,   here   in  the   thorn-cursed 

soil  — 
Heaven  is  blest  with  perfect  rest,  but  the  blessing  of  earth  is 

toil." 

Henry  Van  Dyke. 


Study  IX.  Seventh  Day 

Review 

T.  Ought  we  not  to  show  as  much  genuine  courtesy  to  the 
newsboy  as  to  the  dean? 

2.  Would  you  go  far  out  of  your  way  to  serve  a  dying 
charity  patient? 

3.  Would  you  be  willing  to  discontinue  your  Simday  school 
and  send  the  pupils  to  the  school  of  another  denomination 
if  you  sincerely  thought  that  they  could  better  train  your 
children   in  Christian   character  than  your   school   could? 

4.  Do  you  resent  the  intrusion  of  others  into  your  field  of 
service?  H  you  have  failed  as  a  pastor  or  a  secretary,  would 
you  genuinely  rejoice  to  see  your  successor  prosper? 

5.  Is   your   life    suffused    with   the   spirit   of   Christ?     Does 


Review  103 

3'our  conversation  with  bootblack,  waiter,  car  conductor,  ele- 
vator boy,  and  clerk,  radiate  with  the  genuine  love  of  Christ 
for  men  ? 

6.  Have  you  ever  discouraged  sincere  people  in  work  for 
the  Kingdom  by  destructive  criticism,  or  by  jesting  about  reli- 
gion? Many  students  fall  into  the  habit  of  placing  them- 
selves upon  a  pedestal  of  superior  knowledge  (?),  pointing 
out  the  faults  and  defects  of  the  Sunday  school,  the  church, 
the  revival,  and  the  whole  program  of  religion,  without  mak- 
ing an  effort  to  apply  a  constructive  remedy. 

7.  Do  you  harbor  ill  will  when  unjustly  attacked? 

8.  Many  students  become  interested  in  people  in  the  ab- 
stract and  talk  interestingly  on  modern  methods  of  reli- 
gious work,  but  they  have  lost  the  individual  touch.  Jesus 
was  interested  in  people  as  individuals  and  always  set  aside 
the  organization  when  it  was  necessary  for  the  good  of  the 
individual.  Some  men  preach  excellent  sermons  on  love  and 
forbearance  but  become  exceedingly  irritated  and  speak  un- 
kindly to  their  wives  if  dinner  is  half  an  hour  late. 

9.  Do  you  believe  a  child  of  wealth  deserves  more  credit 
for  nobility  of  life  and  faithfulness  to  duty  than  a  child  of 
poverty  ? 

10.  Are  you  falling  short  of  the  best?  Many  students 
with  great  possibilities  content  themselves  with  an  easy  task 
which  calls  for  only  mediocre  talent,  instead  of  throwing  their 
lives  into  some  great  cause  which  demands  their  all. 

11.  With  all  your  advantages  are  you  doing  as  much  pro- 
portionately for  Christ  as  the  man  with  poorer  equipment? 

12.  What  is  first  in  your  life?  What  is  the  chief  end  of 
man? 

13.  Have  you  ever  considered  your  "  financial  budget  "  from 
the  religious  standpoint?  Do  you  think  it  as  sinful  to  waste 
money  as  it  is  to  hoard  it?  Has  a  man  any  more  right  to 
waste  money  than  to  debase  his  character?  Does  not  the  hon- 
est accumulation  of  wealth  strengthen  character? 

14.  Students  often  fail  to  give  to  the  church,  missions,  or 
charity  but  deny  themselves  no  personal  indulgence.  They 
never  miss  a  football  game  or  a  cotillion  but  cannot  spare 
even  as  small  an  amount  as  fifty  cents  for  foreign  missions. 

15.  Do  you  realize  that  the  way  you  spend  your  money  in- 


I04  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

dicates  your  character  as  much  as  the  way  you   spend  your 
time? 

i6.  Regardless  of  his  position  every  man  has  temptations 
commensurate  with  his  nature.  We  must  let  neither  poverty 
nor  riches,  education  nor  ignorance,  hinder  us  from  subor- 
dinating our  all  to  the  will  of  God. 

17.  How  would  Jesus  deal  with  the  idle  rich? 

18.  Are  the  moral  questions  concerned  with  wealth  de- 
pendent upon  the  amount  of  wealth? 

ig.  If  in  a  particular  instance,  honesty  would  lead  to  bank- 
ruptcy, what  would  be  the  instructions  of  Jesus? 

20.  Let  us  realize  that  growth  in  character  comes  not  by 
having  things  but  by  doing  things.  "  It  is  action,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  that  measures  the  final  zvorth  of  any  life.  We  are 
in  the  world,  not  to  look  on,  but  to  do.  He  lacks  manhood 
who  lives  but  to  be  amused  by  the  passing  show.  Work  be- 
stows meaning  upon  life,  and  brings  unity  to  its  scattered  im- 
pulses. Work  gives  a  man  dignity  and  poise ;  it  shows  forth 
the  divinity  that  is  within  him.  Not  just  to  find  out  God's 
wisdom  are  we  here,  but  to  work  for  Him  and  with  Him  in 
the  building  of  His  kingdom."  ^ 

1  The  Pui)il  and  the  Teacher.  L.  A.  Weigle.  Copyrighted  191 1. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  George  H.  Doran  Company.     New  York. 


STUDY  X.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Peril  of  an  Empty  Life.     Matt.  12:43-46 

There  are  a  number  of  sections  in  Luke  and  Matthew  not 
contained  in  Mark  which  should  be  studied  before  taking  np 
the  last  journey  to  Jerusalem.  The  first  of  these  is  the 
passage  in  Matthew  12 :  43-45.  The  trouble  with  the  house 
spoken  of  in  this  parable  was  that  it  was  empty.  In  the 
language  of  to-day,  the  paint. was  fresh,  the  roof  was  good,  the 
plumbing  was  modern,  the  floors  were  of  hardwood,  but  no 
one  lived  in  it.  Jesus  is  teaching  us  in  this  parable  that  we 
must  not  only  have  a  good  life  but  a  life  good  for  something.i 
It  is  perilous  to  stay  on  the  defensive  in  Christian  work.  We 
cannot  expect  to  attain  the  Kingdom  by  merely  refraining  from 
evil.  Either  we  do  good  or  our  good  intentions  become 
atrophied.  Something  must  fill  our  lives :  if  it  is  not  good, 
it  will  be  evil.  The  danger  of  so  many  college  men  is  not 
that  they  do  so  much  evil,  but  that  they  do  no  good.  Some 
day  they  will  be  surprised  to  find  that  their  religious  life  is 
dead.  This  principle  is  well  illustrated  by  a  zealous  Christian 
student  who,  upon  graduation,  went  to  the  Philippines  as  a 
government  teacher.  He  did  not  spend  himself  in  religious 
service  for  others  in  the  Philippines  as  he  had  done  in  Amer- 
ica. When  he  came  home,  he  found  that  his  religious  zeal 
had  died  out  and  that  he  felt  spiritually  dead.  "  It  was  not 
that  I  did  anything  particularly  wrong  in  the  Philippines,"  he 
said  in  explanation,  "but  I  just  did  nothing."  His  life  was 
empty. 

How  many  students  crowd  their  life  with  athletics,  class 
politics,    college    publications,    and    social    life,    until    prayer, 

1  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.  F.  G.  Peabody,  The 
Macmillan  Company.     New  York. 


io5  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

Bible  study,  and  service  are  crowded  out  and  their  religious 
life  becomes  atrophied. 

The  reverse  of  this  parable  is  equally  true.  By  filling  our 
lives  with  good  and  spending  ourselves  in  Christian  service, 
evil  will  be  crowded  out.  The  easiest  way  to  live  right,  is  not 
to  spend  so  much  time  in  the  repression  of  the  evil  in  us,  but 
to  spend  all  our  time  in  the  expression  of  the  good.  We 
are  never  so  free  from  temptation  as  when  helping  another 
who  is  tempted.  As  long  as  our  lives  are  dominated  by  some 
lofty  purpose,  we  are  not  likely  to  fall. 

Let  us  make  a  budget  of  our  time  and  thought  and  begin 
to  exclude  the  damaging  and  non-essential  by  filling  up  with 
the  Christlike. 


Study  X.  Second  Day 


The  Kingdom,  the  Highest  Good.     Luke  g :  57-62 

Read  Luke  9:57-62.  In  these  three  illustrations,  Jesus 
teaches  that  the  Kingdom  is  of  highest  importance. 

To  the  first  man  who  wished  to  follow  Him,  He  pointed 
out  that  it  might  mean  a  complete  sacrifice  of  material  com- 
forts, but  that  it  was  worth  the  price. 

To  the  second  man,  who  wished  first  to  bury  his  father, 
Jesus  said  that  his  father  was  dead  and  nothing  more  could 
be  done  for  him.  The  Kingdom  was  a  matter  of  the  great- 
est and  most  immediate  importance  to  the  living. 

To  the  third  man,  who  wished  to  bid  farewell  to  his  rela- 
tives, Jesus  advised  the  dispensing  with  such  formalities.  The 
Kingdom  needed  him. 

These  sayings  may  seem  harsh  to  some  people.  Jesus  did 
not  compromise.  He  stated  principles  outright,  so  that 
there  could  be  no  doubt  of  His  meaning,  and  no  place  for 
exceptions.  Jesus  did  not  teach  disrespect  to  the  dead ;  He 
was  emphasizing  the  supreme  importance  of  the  Kingdom. 
The  father  was  dead.  The  son  could  not  help  the  father 
by  attending  to  the  funeral  rites,  which  could  be  looked 
after  by  some  one  else,     He  could  better  show  his  respect  for 


The  Kingdom,  the  Highest  Good  107 

his  father  by  attending  to  a  matter  of  supreme  importance 
to  the  Hving,  than  by  neglecting  the  living  in  order  to  per- 
form the  ceremonies  due  to  the  dead. 

In  a  charge,  a  soldier's  comrades  may  fall  by  his  side  yet 
he  must  go  forward.  The  objectives  must  be  gained,  the  bat- 
tle must  be  w^on,  the  dead  w^ill  be  buried  later. 

Again,  Jesus  had  no  objection  to  one's  saying  good-by  to 
his  kinsfolk,  but  taught  that  such  customs  are  not  to  stand  in 
the  way  of  the  Kingdom. 

There  is  a  lesson  here  for  college  men.  Such  expressions 
as  these  are  frequently  heard  on  the  campus :  "  I'm  sorry,  but 
I  can't  attend  Bible  study  to-day ;  we  have  a  class  meeting." 
"  I'm  sorry,  but  you  had  better  not  count  on  me  for  your 
prayer  group;  the  editors  of  the  college  paper  frequently 
have  their  meeting  at  that  hour."  "  I  can't  take  the  chair- 
manship of  the  Bible  study  committee  next  year;  I'm  trying 
for  manager  of  the  track  team  and  I  can't  do  both."  "  I  have 
just  all  the  work  I  can  do  this  year;  I'm  interested  in  your 
mission  work,  but  don't  count  on  me." 

There  are,  however,  a  group  of  men  who  have  caught  the 
meaning  of  Luke  9:62.  "Sorry,"  they  say,  "I'll  have  to 
drop  the  glee  club,  if  you  meet  at  that  time;  we  have  a 
Bible  class  then."  "  Sorry,  but  I  have  not  time  for  football 
and  the  Christian  Association  too,  so  I'll  have  to  drop  foot- 
ball." 

Is  your  religious  work  set  aside  for  secular  college  affairs 
or  does  it  come  first?  What  is  of  supreme  importance  in 
your  daily  life? 


Study  X.  Third  Day 

The  Parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan 
Luke  10: 25-37 

The  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  is  one  of  the  best 
known  and  most  frequently  quoted  of  the  parables  of  Jesus. 
Therein.  Jesus  again  declares  that  love  is  the  sum  of  the  law. 
"What   shall   I   do  to  inherit  eternal  life?"     Love  God,  and 


io8  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

love  your  neighbor.  These  two  commandments  cannot  be 
separated.  A  man  cannot  love  God  without  loving  his  neigh- 
bor and  a  man  cannot  love  his  neighbor  without,  either  con- 
sciously or  unconsciously,  loving  God.  In  reply  to  the  ques- 
tion "Who  is  my  neighbor?"  Jesus  draws,  in  a  striking 
way,  a  picture  of  love  and  its  work.     Read  Luke  10:25-37. 

The  parable  may  perhaps  be  paraphrased  thus.  A  man  was 
journeying  on  horseback  to  a  distant  city.  On  the  way,  he 
was  waylaid,  robbed,  and  left  to  die  by  the  roadside.  A  min- 
ister on  his  way,  perhaps,  to  deliver  the  principal  address  at 
a  great  convention,  on  the  subject,  "The  Creed,  the  Founda- 
tion of  Our  Faith,"  came  along  that  way.  He  saw  the 
wounded  man,  and  his  first  impulse  was  to  help  him.  But 
fearing  the  delay  would  make  him  late  for  his  engagement, 
and  put  him  in  danger  of  being  robbed  himi-elf,  the  minister 
hurried  on,  leaving  the  dying  man  unattended.  A  secretary 
of  the  Christian  Association  passed  by.  He  was  on  his  way 
to  address  a  great  mass  meeting  on  the  subject,  "The  Church 
and  Its  Call  to  Men."  He  saw  the  wounded  man  and  stopped 
for  a  moment  to  look  at  him.  He  could  do  little  for  the  man 
anyway,  and  as  the  mass  meeting  was  important,  he  too  hur- 
ried on,  leaving  the  wounded  man  unattended  by  the  roadside. 

Then  a  negro  came  along  that  way.  The  negro  had  just 
finished  work  in  a  neighboring  town  and  had  a  week's  wages 
in  his  pocket.  If  the  robbers  caught  him,  all  his  money  would 
be  taken  and  there  would  be  two  dying  men  instead  of  one. 
The  negro  did  not  think  of  this.  He  dressed  the  wounds 
of  the  man;  put  him  on  his  mule;  took  him  to  the  next  town; 
lodged  him  at  a  boarding  house;  sent  for  a  doctor;  and  paid 
the  bills. 

This  paraphrase  is  not  intended  as  a  slur  on  ministers  and 
Association  secretaries,  but  is  told  to  illustrate  the  idea  of 
Jesus  of  the  supreme  requirement  of  religion.  The  minister 
in  hurrying  on  to  address  the  convention  on  the  Creed,  neg- 
lected to  render  the  service  for  which  the  creed  was  formu- 
lated. 

The  secretary,  in  his  neglect  of  the  man,  failed  in  the  very 
purpose  for  which  the  church,  to  which  he  was  calling  men, 
was  organized. 

Ritual,   orthodoxy,   churchmanship   are   not   ends   in   them- 


The  Parable  of  the   Good  Samaritan  109 

selves.  They  are  merely  the  body  in  which  the  spirit  of  lov- 
ing service  is  nurtured. 

Do  we  wish  to  inherit  eternal  life?  Then  let  us  love  God 
and  love  our  neighbor,  and  let  us  express  our  love  as  this 
negro  expressed  his  love  for  the  wounded  man. 

We  have  also  in  this  parable  a  clear  definition  of  love. 
It  is  not  sentiment  or  emotion.  It  is  joyful  service.  The 
minister  and  the  secretary  may  have  preached  excellent  ser- 
mons on  love.  They  may  have  shed  tears  when  a  man  "  hit 
the  trail."  But  they  were  blind  to  a  most  obvious  case  of 
human  need.  Love,  then,  is  the  strength  of  one  man  applied 
to  the  need  of  another ;  it  is  thought! ulness ;  it  is  genuine  in- 
terest in  human  beings  as  such;  it  is  courtesy;  it  is  tender- 
ness; it  is  sacrifice;  it  is,  in  a  word,  the  expression  in  life 
of  the  Christlike  spirit.^  "  To  Jesus,"  some  one  has  said, 
"  the  only  orthodoxy  is  love,  the  only  heresy  is  selfishness." 
The  great  world  war  demonstrated  that  individual  or  organ- 
ized selfishness  cannot  exist  in  a  world  with  the  ideals  of 
Jesus  and  that  war  will  never  cease  until  individuals  and  na- 
tions cease  to  be  selfish  and  are  dominated  by  love,  as  the 
Good  Samaritan  was. 

"Who  was  neighbor  to  him  that  fell  among  the  thieves?" 
The  Jew  detested  the  Samaritan  so  much  that  he  would 
not  even  mention  the  name  Samaritan.  "  He  that  showed 
mercy  on  him,"  was  the  reply.  "  And  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
Go,  and  do  thou  likewise." 

Study  X.  Fourth  Day 
Martha  and  Mary.     Luke  10:38-42 

Luke  next  records  a  visit  of  Jesus  to  the  home  of  Martha 
and  Alary.     Read  Luke  10:38-42. 

When  Jesus  entered  this  home,  Mary  laid  aside  all  house- 
hold cares  in  order  to  spend  her  time  with  the  Master.  She 
wished  to  enjoy  His  companionship.  The  household  work 
could   be   done   at   another   time   when   Jesus   was   not   there. 

1  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.  F.  G.  Peabody.  The 
Macmillan  Company.     New  York. 


1  lO  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

What  were  household  duties  compared  with  an  hour  spent  in 
the  presence  of  the  Master? 

Martha,  on  the  other  hand,  busied  herself  with  the  house- 
hold cares.  The  Teacher  was  here  and  the  best  linen  must  be 
spread.  The  guest  room  must  be  dusted  and  swept.  The 
dinner  must  be  well  cooked  and  of  a  quality  befitting  an 
occasion  like  this.  And  Martha  became  irritated  because 
Mary  left  all  this  work  for  her  to  do.  Jesus  was  not  so 
much  concerned  about  food  and  spotless  linen.  It  was  an 
appreciation  of  Himself  and  a  desire  for  His  message  that 
He  wanted.  It  was  her  spirit  of  welcome  and  her  sense  of 
the  real  values  in  life  that  Jesus  commended  in  Mary. 

A  certain  evangelist,  who  often  spent  months  away  from 
home,  was  walking  down  the  street  with  his  little  girl  on  the 
morning  of  his  return  from  one  of  his  long  trips.  An  old 
friend  met  him  and  requested  him  to  look  at  the  new  insti- 
tutional church  which  was  being  erected  close  at  hand.  The 
evangelist  looked  at  his  little  girl  and  taking  a  few  coins  from 
his  pocket,  said,  "  Here,  girlie,  run,  buy  yourself  some  candy. 

Daddy   is  going  with   Mr.   for   awhile."     The   little   girl 

held  the  coins  in  her  open  hand  and,  looking  up  at  her  father, 
said,  with  quivering  lips,  "  Daddy,  you  have  been  away  nine 
months.     I   don't  want  your  money.     I  want  you." 

Jesus  wants  you  —  not  so  much  your  money,  or  3'our  time, 
or  your  influence,  as  your  heart.  Have  you  given  yourself  to 
Him? 

Jesus  did  not  want  food  as  much  as  He  wanted  that  devo- 
tion of  the  heart  which  sought  refreshment  in  His  presence. 


Study  X.  Fifth  Day 
The  Prodigal  Son.     Luke  15:11-32 

We  come  now  to  another  well-known  parable  of  Jesus,  the 
parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son.     Read  Luke  15:  11-32. 

The  first  lesson  that  we  learn  from  this  parable  is  the  love 
of  the  Father  for  us.  No  matter  how  low  we  fall,  or  how  de- 
graded we  may  become,  He  stands  ready  to  receive  us  to  Him- 
self again.     The  pathetic  thing  about  the  wayward  son  was, 


The  Prodigal  Son  I  1 1"^ 

that  only  by  draining  the  cup  of  sin  to  the  bottom  could 
he  learn  how  bitter  were  the  dregs.  Hundreds  of  boys  and 
college  men  are  to-day  beiifg  warned  of  the  inevitable  conse- 
quences of  sin  and  of  disobedience  to  the  call  of  God,  but  they 
will  never  "  come  to  themselves  "  until  they  have  paid  the 
penalty.  Alas,  then,  -a  majority  of  them  either  are  dead,  or 
lack  the  power  to  "  arise  and  go  to  their  Father."  Yet  the 
heart  of  the  Father  yearns  for  the  return  of  His  wayward 
children  and  is  ever  seeking  to  draw  them  to  Himself  with 
cords  of  love. 

There  is  another  lesson  that  we  may  learn  from  this  para- 
ble. It  is  from  the  attitude  of  the  elder  brother.  It  was  the 
attitude  of  this  son  wKich  disturbed  Jesus.  The  elder  brother 
was  selfish.  He  was  not  as  much  concerned  about  the  wel- 
fare of  his  brother  as  he  was  about  the  attention  which  he 
thought  due  to  himself.  If  his  heart  had  been  full  of  love, 
when  informed  of  the  cause  of  the  rejoicing  in  the  house, 
he  would  have  rushed  in  and  wept  on  the  neck  of  his  brother 
as  his  father  did,  and  would  have  contributed  anything  he 
owned  to  the  occasion.  But  he  was  angry  and  would  not  go 
in.  Think  of  the  jealousy,  ill  temper,  and  selfishness  dis- 
played here. 

Do  you  ever  sulk  because  you  do  not  receive  your  share 
of  glory  in  the  success  of  an  enterprise?  Do  you  feel  bitter 
against  the  other  half  back  because  he  gets  so  much  applause 
and  cheers  for  carrying  the  ball  when  his  success  is  the  re- 
sult of  your  interference? 

In  this  parable  Jesus  is  again  calling  attention  to  love  and 
unselfishness  as  the  great  essential  of  life. 


Study  X.  Sixth  Day 

Jesus  Faces  Jerusalem.     Mark  lo :  32-34 ;  Matt. 
20:17-19;  Luke  18:31-34 

We  now  begin  the  study  of  the  final  period  in  the  life  of 
Jesus.  He  felt  that  His  disciples  were  prepared  to  with- 
stand the  shock  of  coming  events,  however  dreadful  these 
might  be.     At  any  rate,  Peter,  James,  and  John  would  keep 


112  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

the  others  of  the  twelve  faithful.  Realizing  the  inevitable 
end  awaiting  Him,  yet  hoping  to  the  last  that  the  nation 
would  accept  His  message,  Jesu«  traveled  toward  Jerusalem 
at  the  time  of  the  celebration  of  the  Passover.  At  this  time, 
pilgrims  from  the  surrounding  provinces  would  be  assembled 
in  Jerusalem,  and  then,  if  ever,  He  could  appeal  to  the  entire 
nation. 

"  There  is  no  evidence  in  the  gospel  narratives,"  says  Pro- 
fessor Kent,  "that  Jesus  was  conscious  of  following  a  pre- 
ordained programme.  On  the  contrary,  they  testify  that  even 
to  the  last  he  cherished  the  hope  that  Jerusalem  would  not 
maintain  its  evil  reputation  of  killing  its  prophets.  Like  a 
mother  bird,  he  longed  to  gather  he*  children  together  and 
protect  them  from  the  fate  that  he  saw  was  inevitable  if  his 
nation  continued  to  follow  its  false  ambition.  But  Jesus  knew 
well  the  forces  with  which  he  had  to  deal,  and  the  evidence 
is  cumulative  that  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  in  the  spirit  of  a 
martyr,  fully  aware  of  the  dangers  which  confronted  him."  ^ 

On  the  way,  Jesus  once  more  warned  His  followers  of  the 
inevitable  consequences  to  Him  of  facing  the  nation  with 
His  uncompromising  message.  The  evangelist  again  wrote 
the  warning  of  Jesus  in  the  light  of  later  events. ^ 


Study  X.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

We  have  now  reached  the  final  period  in  the  life  of  Jesus. 
Thus  far,  we  have  avoided  the  discussion  of  the  miracles,  and 
of  doctrines  which  are  usually  considered  stumbling-blocks 
in  the  way  of  men  who  are  trying  to  think  their  way  through 
religious  problems.  As  the  studies  have  advanced,  the  depth 
and  profundity  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus  have  become  more 
evident,  and  .the  perfection  of  His  character  has  gradually 
been  revealed.  We  found  that  over  and  over  again  He  placed 
the  emphasis  on  what  we  to-day  call   Christlike  love  as  the 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  191 3. 
Used  by   permission   of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 


Review  1 13 

essence  of  religion.     We  found  that  His  sense  of  union  with 
the  unseen  Father  was  the  dynamic  of  His  life. 

During  this  week,  some  very  impressive  lessons  have  been 
studied. 

1.  Our  lives  must  be  filled  with  good  or  evil.  We  have 
twenty-four  hours  a  day.  Let  us  fill  them  with  active  good 
so  that  there  will  be  no  room  for  evil. 

2.  The  religious  work  in  a  large  university  was  ineffectual 
because  the  so-called  Christian  men  placed  track  practice, 
publication  meetings,  glee  club  and  class  meetings  first. 
Whenever  there  was  a  conflict  between  any  of  these  and 
the  weekly  devotional  meeting,  the  Bible  class,  or  the  mission 
study  committee,  the  religious  work  was  set  aside.  Gradu- 
ally, however,  a  group  of  men  caught  a  vision  of  the  supreme 
importance  of  the  Kingdom  and  when  there  was  a  conflict 
between  the  religious  work  and  the  glee  club  or  track  team, 
the  glee  club  or  track  team  were  set  aside  and  the  religious 
work  attended  to.  The  result  was  that  the  Christian  work 
became  effectual  and  other  organizations,  without  any  detri- 
ment, held  their  meetings  at  other  times. 

3.  Does  religion  for  us  consist  in  church  membership,  wor- 
ship, monetary  contributions,  or  abstinence  from  certain  sins 
which  are  openly  tabooed?  Are  we  kind  and  considerate 
to  others  ?  Do  the  members  of  our  family  respect  our  re- 
ligious belief  on  account  of  the  thoughtfulness  and  affection 
it  causes  us  to  show  them?  Does  our  sympathy  spontane- 
ously go  out  to  a  person  in  need  without  our  thinking  of  his 
race,  social  standing,  or  religious  convictions?  Are  we 
genuinely  interested  in  human  beings  as  human  beings? 

4.  Do  you  complain  of  your  hard  lot  because  you  have  so 
many  family  burdens  to  carry?  Ought  you  not  rather  to  be 
thankful  that  you  are  able  to  be  so  helpful? 

5.  It  is  sad  that  most  prodigal  sons  never  return.  Many 
occupy  early  graves.  Others  are  powerless  in  the  grip  of 
sin.  Is  it  better  to  keep  ten  boys  from  becoming  prodigals 
than  to  rescue  more  than  ten  after  they  have  become  prod- 
igals? Are  you  an  elder  brother?  Do  you  calculate  how 
much  your  parents  have  given  your  brothers  and  sisters  and 
then  complain  because  your  portion  is  somewhat  less  ?  Or 
are  you  so  interested  in  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  others 


114  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

that  you  never  think  of  whether  you  receive  your  proper 
share  of  glory?  Can  you  refrain  from  bitterness  when  favors 
are  bestowed  on  an  enemy? 

6.  Would  you  be  willing  to  face  unpopularity,  ridicule,  or 
danger  for  the  sake  of  aggressively  doing  right? 

7.  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem.  He  did  not  wait  for  the  reli- 
gious leaders  to  search  Him  out.  The  Christian  life  is  not 
a  passive,  sanctimonious  existence;  it  is  a  battle  for  the  right. 
Are  there  evils  in  your  college  or  community?  Then  fight 
them.     It  is  as  much  your  task  as  anybody's. 


STUDY  XI.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Political  Ambition  of  James  and  John.     Mark 
10:35-45;  Matt.  20:20-28 

James  and  John  came  to  Jesus  at  this  time  with  a  request 
for  the  principal  places  in  the  New  Kingdom.  Even  at  this 
late  date  in  the  life  of  Jesus,  notwithstanding  that  He  had 
shown  no  trace  of  political  ambition,  and  had  warned  the  dis- 
ciples of  His  approaching  death,  the  twelve  still  held  to  the 
belief  in  the  early  establishment  of  a  temporal  kingdom. 
Jesus  did  not  attempt  to  disabuse  their  minds  but  asked  them 
if  they  could  pay  the  price  for  such  priority  as  they  requested. 
Read  Mark  10 :  35-45- 

When  the  other  disciples  heard  the  request  of  James  and 
John,  they  became  indignant  —  not  at  the  selfish  ambition  of 
James  and  John,  for  the  ten  themselves  were  not  less  selfish 
—  but  they  were  provoked  because  the  fiery-tempered  brothers 
had  been  the  first  to  place  their  request  for  chief  honors. 

They  were  all  equally  at  fault,  and  therefore  Jesus  called 
them  to  Him  and  told  them  that  priority  in  His  Kingdom 
would  be  based  on  unselfish  service  alone.  Selfish  ambition, 
desire  for  glory,  or  striving  for  material  power  were  not 
only  inconsistent  with  membership  in  the  Kingdom,  but  would 
positively  exclude  one  from  it. 

"  The  logical  and  probably  original  conclusion  of  Jesus' 
reply  to  his  disciples  is  found  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Luke 
22 :  27b  :  '  And  I  am  in  your  midst  as  one  who  serves.'  For 
this  Mark  has  a  teaching  which  reflects  the  influence  of  Paul 
and  of  the  age  in  which  the  evangelist  wrote :  '  For  the  son 
of  man  also  came  not  to  be  ministered  to,  but  to  minister,  and 
to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many.'  It  assumes  that  Jesus 
had  already  come  and  completed  his  mission.  It  is  the  result 
of  that  mature  meditation  on  the  deeper  and  broader  mean- 

115 


Ii6  Jesus  and  the  Young  Mafi  of   To-day 

ing  of   his   life-work  which   is   presented   still  more  fully  in 
the  Fourth  Gospel."  ^ 


Study  XI.  Second  Day 

Jesus  Passes  Through  Jericho  on  His  Way  to 

Jerusalem.     Mark  10:46-52;  Matt.  20:29- 

34;  Luke  18:  35-19-  27 

Read  Luke  18:35-43.  This  miracle  also  will  be  discussed 
in  a  later  study.  Notice  in  passing  v.  42,  Read  Luke  19 :  i-io. 
We  find  Jesus  again  violating  the  customs  of  His  people  by 
eating  at  the  home  of  a  tax  collector.  Jesus  judged  men  by 
their  aspirations  and  saw  in  each  one  great  latent  possibilities 
for  good.  Instead  of  turning  away  from  Zaccheus  on  ac- 
count of  his  station  in  life,  Jesus  entered  his  home,  where 
contact  and  conversation  with  the  Master  soon  led  Zaccheus 
to  amend  his  life  and  desire  to  restore  fourfold  any  wrong- 
ful exaction  he  had  extorted.  Jesus  then  told  before  the 
assembled  group  the  parable  of  the  talents.  Read  Luke 
19 :  1 1-27. 

We  are  not  held  responsible  for  the  use  of  talents  which 
we  do  not  possess ;  but  only  for  those  that  we  have.  The  man 
who  cannot  sing  is  not  condemned  for  neglecting  opportuni- 
ties of  thus  using  his  voice  in  service  to  others.  It  is  the 
man  with  a  good  voice  who  is  held  accountable  for  the  use 
or  neglect  of  his  vocal  talent. 

Again,  we  are  not  judged  by  the  actual  amount  we  produce 
but  by  the  proportional  amount.  The  great  man  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world  may  be  a  man  using  only  three-fourths  of  his 
talents.  The  great  man  in  the  eyes  of  our  Father  is  he  who 
returns  one  hundredfold  regardless  of  the  size  of  the  out- 
put. 

A  sad  feature  of  our  life  to-day  is  not  that  the  man  with 
one  talent  buries  it  in  a  napkin  but  that,  in  so  many  cases,  the 
man  with  ten  talents  stands  by  and  sneers  at  the  church  and 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's  Sons.     New  York. 


The  Entrance  of  Jesus  into  Jerusalem  117 

the  Christian  Association  because  the  man  with  one  talent 
does  not  carry  more  gracefully  a  load  heavier  than  he  can 
bear. 

Study  XL  Third  Day 

The  Entrance  of  Jesus  into  Jerusalem.     Mark 
11:1-10;  Matt.  21:1-11;  Luke  19:29-44 

We  now  enter  upon  the  last  week  of  the  life  of  Jesus.  As 
He  neared  Jerusalem,  He  was  accompanied  by  His  disciples 
and  a  large  group  of  pilgrims,  a  majority  of  whom  were 
probably  bound  to  Jesus,  like  Bartimaeus,  "  by  bonds  of  per- 
sonal obligation  and  gratitude,"  ^  and  who  made  up  a  large 
informal  procession.  Read  Mark  i:i-ii.  There  is  nothing 
miraculous  about  the  method  of  Jesus  in  securing  the  colt. 
Jesus  was  known  in  the  country  around  Jerusalem  and  had 
friends  near  the  city.  On  the  way,  the  crowds,  and  espe- 
cially the  disciples,  thinking  perhaps  the  time  of  the  Messi- 
anic demonstration  was  at  hand,  and  stirred  by  their  devotion 
to  Jesus,  burst  forth  in  an  enthusiastic  demonstration  which 
continued  until  He  reached  the  city.  This  entrance  into 
Jerusalem  "  illustrates  Jesus'  method  during  the  last  few  days 
of  his  public  activity.  No  longer  does  he  enjoin  silence  upon 
his  followers,  but  rather  he  courts  publicity,  for  this  was  his 
chief  safeguard  in  the  perilous  situation  which  he  now  faced. 
Hitherto  he  had  borne  the  insults  of  the  Jewish  leaders  al- 
most in  silence,  but  now  he  proceeded  to  arraign  them  at 
the  center  of  their  power  and  in  terms  that  are  merciless  in 
their  severity.  In  the  public  way  in  which  he  entered  Jeru- 
salem, Jesus  proclaimed  his  presence  to  all  and  at  the  same 
time  rallied  his  followers  about  him.  It  was  the  prelude  to 
that  challenge  which  he  made  to  his  nation  to  choose  between 
him,  the  champion  of  the  neglected  masses,  and  their  cor- 
rupt, self-seeking  leaders.  .  .  .  His  unassuming  action,  how- 
ever, on  reaching  the  temple,  while  absolutely  consistent  with 
his  own  character,  forever  disproved  the  conclusion  still  held 

1  The   Life  and   Teachings   of  Jesus.     C.    F.   Kent.     Copyrighted    1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 


Ii8  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

by  many  that  he  hoped  at  this  time  to  establish  himself  on  the 
throne  of  David  as  Israel's  long-awaited  Messianic  king. 

"  Jesus'  quiet  withdrawal  to  Bethany,  as  evening  came  on, 
is  one  of  the  man^  indications,  found  in  the  records  of  this 
period,  that  he  was  fully  aware  of  the  danger  that  lurked 
everywhere  in  Jerusalem.  This  point  is  exceedingly  important 
in  understanding  and  estimating  Jesns'  character  and  pur- 
pose. For  his  followers  and  for  his  cause  he  deliberately 
faced  what  he  knew  to  be  the  probability,  almost  the  certainty, 
of  ultimate  death  ;  but  he  did  not  court  it.  Jerusalem,  with 
its  narrow  streets  and  its  narrower  religious  ideas,  must  have 
oppressed  the  Master  Builder  of  Nazareth,  accustomed  as  he 
was  to  the  hill-tops,  the  open  fields,  the  large  vistas  of  nature, 
as  well  as  of  God's  truth.  It  was  as  natural  as  it  was  sig- 
nificant that  he  should  retire,  whenever  it  was  possible,  to  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  with  its  larger  outlook,  and  to  Bethany, 
which  was  near  Jerusalem  and  yet  out  of  sight  of  the  city 
with  its  clamor  and  its  bickerings.  At  Bethany,  amidst  the 
fig  trees  and  the  olive  orchards,  he  was  again  in  touch  with 
nature.  There  he  was  no  longer  shut  in  by  the  narrow,  rocky 
Judean  hills,  but  could  look  far  out  over  the  wilderness  of 
Judea  toward  the  Jordan  Valley  and  heights  of  Gilead  and 
Moab  beyond."! 


Study  XI.  Fourth  Day 

The  Withering  of  the  Fig  Tree,  and  the  Expulsion 
of  the  Bazaar  Merchants  from  the  Temple. 

Mark  ii :  12-25 

Read  Mark  11  :  12-14,  20-25.  We  probably  have,  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  fig  tree,  a  parable  of  Jesus  referring  to  the  want 
of  productiveness  in  the  nation,  and  interpreted,  by  later  tra- 
dition, as  a  miracle. 1 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  iqi3. 
Used  by  permission   of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 


The  Withering  of  the  Fig   Tree  119 

On  the  second  day,  Jesus  enters  the  temple  again  and  stands 
forth  before  the  people  as  a  champion  of  the  rights  of  the 
poor.  At  the  Passover  season  when  the  pilgrims  came  from 
many  places  to  sacrifice,  there  was  a  great  demand  for  doves, 
sheep,  and  cattle  for  the  sacrifices,  and  a  need  for  money 
brokers  in  order  that  the  people  from  various  places  might 
exchange  their  money  and  trade  in  the  currency  of  the  temple. 
Seeing  this  opportunity  for  gain,  the  traders,  with  the  con- 
sent and  in  some  cases,  perhaps,  with  the  financial  backing 
of  the  priests,  opened  a  market  in  the  temple  courts,  there 
to  cheat  the  pilgrims  and  to  enrich  themselves  by  ill-gotten 
gain,  under  the  cloak  of  religion.  Instead  of  devout  wor- 
shipers, the  Gentiles  found  the  court  crowded  with  these 
rascals,  and  the  prayer  of  the  Jewish  pilgrim  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  clinking  of  coins,  the  bleating  of  sheep,  and 
the  noise  of  barter. 

Jesus  burned  with  indignation  when  He  saw  this  sacrilege 
and  corruption.  Seizing  a  piece  of  cattle  rope  and  knotting 
it  into  a  scourge,  He  drove  them  from  the  place.  Read  "Mark 
II :  15-18. 

Jesus  has  been  pictured  so  frequently  as  the  "  meek  and 
lowly "  Jesus,  that  to  many  He  seems  almost  effeminate. 
Here  we  see  the  fearlessness  and  courage  of  the  Man  who 
would  endure  without  resentment,  any  wrong  or  outrage 
committed  upon  Him,  but  whose  wrath  blazed  forth  at 
injustice  or  wrong  done  to  others.  Durant  Drake  ex- 
presses this  view  of  Jesus  when  he  says :  "  The  historic 
Jesus  that  emerges  to  our  view  as  the  result  of  the  modern 
historical  study  of  the  Gospels  is  a  very  different  figure  from 
the  effeminate  Christ  of  mediaeval  art  or  the  misty  God-man 
of  traditional  dogma.  It  is  rather  a  dominating  and  grip- 
pingly  human  personality  —  strong,  fearless,  stern,  passionate 
in  exhortation  and  rebuke ;  and  yet  with  a  rare  purity  and 
sweetness,  a  penetrating  faith  in  sinful  men,  and  a  boundless 
love."  1 

Another  point  to  notice  is  that  "  here  Jesus  approaches  more 
closely  to  the  role  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  prophets  than  at 
any  other  time  in  his  ministry.     Suddenly  the  teacher  became 

1  Problems  of  Religion.  Dviratit  Drake.  Copyrighted  1916.  Use4 
by   permission    of  the   Houghton    Mifflin    Company.     Boston, 


I20  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of  To-day 

a  social  and  national  reformer.  Most  of  his  parables  of  this 
period  deal  not  so  much  with  private  as  with  social  and 
national  questions.  When  Jesus  for  a  brief  moment  as- 
sumed virtual  control  of  the  temple,  he  spoke  thereby  not  to 
individuals  or  to  a  class,  but  to  his  race  as  a  whole.  His 
authority  was  the  same  as  that  of  Jeremiah  and  the  II  Isaiah, 
whose  words  he  significantly  quotes  (Jer.  7:11,  Is.  56:7). 
He  spoke  in  the  name  of  justice  and  of  Jehovah,  whose  tem- 
ple he  was  attempting  to  reclaim  from  the  hands  of  the 
robbers  who  had  seized  it.  For  the  moment  even  the  rob- 
bers themselves  bowed  before  that  authority.  He  rose  as 
the  champion  of  the  helpless  people,  who  were  a  prey  to  the 
greed  and  rapacity  of  their  high  priests."  ^ 


Study  XL  Fifth  Day 

The  Priests  Question  the  Authority  of  Jesus. 

Mark  11:27-12:12;  Matt.  21:23-46; 

Luke  20:  1-18 

Angry  at  the  expulsion  of  the  traders,  yet  afraid  of  arous- 
ing popular  feeling  against  themselves,  the  priests  plan  to 
alienate  the  crowd  from  Jesus  and  to  convict  Him,  by  forc- 
ing Him  to   declare  Himself  on  certain  important  questions. 

Suppressing  their  wrath,  they  first  ask  Him  by  what  au- 
thority He  expelled  the  bazaar  merchants.  Read  Mark 
11:27-33.  Instead  of  replying  directly  to  their  question, 
Jesus,  by  His  question  concerning  the  baptism  of  John, 
placed  them  in  the  same  dilemma  in  which  they  had  tried  to 
place  Him ;  either  to  acknowledge  the  divine  commission  of 
John  and  thereby  acknowledge  His  commission  as  divine,  or 
to  take  the  consequences  of  antagonizing  popular  belief. 
They  were  unwilling  to  answer.  Jesus,  then,  refused  to 
answer  their  question.  The  implication,  however,  was  clear 
to  them  that  Jesus  considered  the  authority  of  John,  and 
likewise  His  own  authority,  to  be  from  God. 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New   York. 


The  Question  of  Tribute  to  Ca-sar  121 

Then,  Jesus  gave  the  cutting  illustration  in  Mark  12:1- 
12  which  somewhat  reflects  later  tradition  but  the  original 
point  of  which  was  perfectly  clear,  namely,  that  Jesus  was 
working  under  the  sanction  and  by  the  authority  of  God. 

As  the  Jews  of  an  earlier  day  had  killed  the  prophets,  so 
the  present  generation  were  seeking  to  destroy  Him. 


Study  XI.  Sixth  Day 

The  Question  of  Tribute  to  Caesar.     Mark  12: 
13-17;  Matt.  22:15-22;  Luke  20:19-26 

The  next  party  who  tried  to  trip  Jesus  with  questions  was 
composed  of  Pharisees  and  Herodians.  They  came  with  the 
well-considered,  diabolical  flattery  found  in  v.  14.  "  Shall 
we  pay  tribute  to  Csesar?"  they  asked.  If  Jesus  had  an- 
swered. No,  the  Roman  authorities  would  have  disposed  of 
Him.  If  He  had  answered.  Yes,  the  people  would  have 
rejected  Him,  and  would  even  have  been  tempted  to  stone 
Him  as  a  traitorous  Jew.  Read  Mark  12:  13-17.  Jesus  an- 
swered their  question  by  reminding  them  that  He  came  to 
set  men  right  with  God,  not  to  settle  questions  of  taxation. 
It  was  because  these  Pharisees  and  Herodians  were  so  far 
from  God  that  they  were  trying  to  kill  Jesus. 

We  see  clearly  in  this  incident  the  life  purpose  of  Jesus. 
The  outward  forms  and  results  of  evil  He  rarely  attacked. 
He  did  not  believe  in  unjust  taxation,  yet  He  did  not  directly 
oppose  it.  He  evidently  did  not  believe  in  slavery,  yet,  to 
our  knowledge.  He  did  not  raise  a  direct  protest  against  it. 
The  flagrant  political  and  economic  evils  of  His  time  were 
left  untouched  by  Him.  Except  for  a  few  instances  during 
this  closing  week.  He  rarely  appears  as  a  national  leader. 
Jesus  came  not  as  a  reformer  but  as  a  revealer.  He  re- 
alized that  if  He  could  relate  men  in  loving  friendship 
to  the  Father  unjust  taxation  would  cease;  that  without  the 
formation  of  this  relationship  it  would  not  permanently  cease, 
even  though  there  were  external  laws  to  prevent  it.  Slavery, 
too,   would  cease  only   when   men  by  communion  with   God 


122  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

should  realize  that  all  men  are  children  of  one  Heavenly 
Father,  and  hence  brothers.  Jesus  sought  to  reform  men  in- 
wardly, that  they  might  reform  conditions  around  them. 


Study  XI.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

I.  Jesus  based  priority  in  His  Kingdom  on  service.  Do 
we  really  live  as  if  we  believe  this,  or  are  the  principles  of 
Jesus  merely  fine  phrases  on  our  lips  with  no  resultant  action 
in  our  lives? 

2-,  Is  your  life  yielding  returns  adequate  to  the  amount 
of  opportunities  you  have  had?  Have  you  consecrated  your 
education  for  use  in  the  Kingdom?  Have  you  refused  to 
take  Sunday  school  work  in  your  town  because  there  are 
too  many  old  residents  in  the  work  to  whom  you  feel  your- 
self, and  to  whom  you  probably  are,  intellectually  superior? 

3.  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem,  although  He  knew  He  was 
waging  a  losing  fight.  The  highest  type  of  courage  is 
not  that  which  carries  victory  with  it.  The  man  who  fights 
a  losing  fight,  with  determination  and  faithfulness  to  the 
last,  he  possesses  the  highest  courage. 

4.  When  a  man  is  in  the  wrong,  he  is  half  whipped  before 
he  is  even  attacked.  Jesus  did  not  drive  out  the  money 
brokers  by  mere  brute  force.  Such  a  group  could  have 
overpowered  Him  even  though  He  evidently  was  physically 
very  strong.  His  blazing  personality  and  their  consciousness 
of  guilt  made  the  task  comparatively  easy.  Remember  in 
your  fight  for  right  that  the  man  in  the  wrong  is  a  coward 
if  he  realizes  his  guilt. 

5.  Do  you  ever  become  so  much  occupied  with  the  or- 
ganization and  the  material  side  of  Christian  work  that  you 
lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  your  organization  will  be  per- 
manent only  as  men  are  united  in  friendship  with  God?  We 
do  not  need  so  much  of  programs,  methods,  or  machinery 
to-day.  We  need  power.  We  need  consecration.  We  need 
men    in    whose    hearts    dwells    the    presence    of    the    living 


Review  123 

Christ,   inspiring  them  to   action.     Is   this   the  conscious   aim 
of  your  work  ? 

6.  It  may  be  advisable  to  mention  again  the  phase  of  the 
character  of  Jesus  discussed  this  week.  It  is  so  clearly  ex- 
pressed in  an  article  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  February,  1918, 
by  Joseph  H.  Odell  that  we  shall  quote  at  length  from  him. 
"Did  this  prophet  know  whafhe  was  doing?  No  one  better! 
From  the  beginning  he  saw  the  end  —  shame  and  pain  and 
death  —  yet  he  never  shortened  his  lash  or  softened  the 
sting  of  his  tongue.  He  set  his  face  steadfastly,  marched 
forward  with  eyes  unafraid,  and  finally  flung  himself  upon 
the  munitions  of  his  enemies  in  a  great  abandon  of  passion. 
Members  of  the  Sanhedrin  rage  and  strike  him ;  he  treats 
Herod  with  incommunicable  contempt ;  he  tells  Pilate  that  all 
his  fancied  prefectorial  power  is  only  a  myth,  a  name;  then  — 
on  to  the  ghastliest  death  that  man  could  suffer,  an  end  which 
a  trifling  compromise  might  easily  have  avoided.  All  alone 
he  struck  the  pride  of  his  people  roughly  in  the  face,  cut 
the  underpinning  from  beneath  the  popular  philosophy,  grap- 
pled with  the  superstitions  which  were  choking  the  life  out 
of  humanity,  fought  relentlessly  the  smug  complacencies 
and  the  organized  hypocrisies  of  his  race,  championed  the 
poor  and  outcast,  interpreted  the  misunderstood,  healed  the 
crippled  and  broken,  protected  the  weak  and  set  a  check 
upon  the  cynical  power  of  the  strong,  flouted  the  law  of  the 
Jews  and  the  wisdom  of  the  Greeks  and  the  junkerism  of  the 
Romans.  Calumny  and  hatred  could  not  make  him  pause, 
cajolery  and  flattery  could  not  make  him  swerve;  with  never 
a  thought  of  himself,  never  a  care  for  consequences,  never 
a  momentary  eclipse  of  self-confidence,  he  went  grimly  for- 
ward with  his  work.  No  one  has  ever  outranked  him  in 
manhood,  heroism,  fortitude."  "  It  was  a  daring  thing  when 
George  Fox  and  William  Penn  refused  to  doff  their  hats 
in  church;  but  that  was  baby  play  by  the  side  of  Christ's 
insurgency  when  he  called  the  Pharisees  whited  sepulchres 
and  whipped  the  money-changers  out  of  the  sacrosanct  tem- 
ple. To  tell  the  venerated  leaders  of  his  nation  that  they 
were  'vipers,'  and  'tenfold  the  children  of  hell,'  and  that  it 
would  be  *  well  if  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  their  neck 
and  that  they  were  cast  into  the  midst  of  the  sea,'  was  not  a 


124  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

diplomatic  approach  to  approved  thought,  and  Hkely  to  make 
the  speaker's  life  easy  and  safe."  "  Of  course,  it  may  be 
said  that  this  is  only  one  aspect  of  Jesus.  Let  that  be 
granted.  Jesus  had  a  habit  of  occasionally  appearing  '  in 
another  form.'  The  only  point  to  be  settled  is  this :  that 
when  he  was  in  the  presence  of  hypocrisy  or  cruelty  or  in- 
justice or  power  set  to  an  evil  purpose,  he  was  terrible  in 
his  sternness ;  confronted  with  anything  which  destroyed 
human  rights,  the  benignant  smile  died  from  his  face  and 
the  cloud  of  an  awful  anger  gathered  on  his  brow  and  the 
lightnings  of  holy  resentment  flashed   from  his  eyes."  ^ 

1  Joseph     H.     Odell,     Atlantic     Monthly.     February,     191 8.     Used     by 
permission  of  the  Atlantic   Monthly   Company.     Boston. 


STUDY  XII.    FIRST  DAY 

The  Question  of  the  Sadducees.     Mark  12:18-27; 
Matt.  22 :  23-33 ;  Luke  20 :  27-39 

The  Sadducees  next  came  to  Jesus  with  one  of  their 
quibbling  questions  about  the  resurrection.  Jesus  did  not 
try  to  prove  to  men  the  existence  of  God,  or  of  life  after 
death.  The  fundamental  realities  which  are  necessary  to 
satisfy  the  deepest  needs  of  our  lives,  He  took  for  granted. 
God  is,  because  the  soul  of  every  man  cries  out  for  such  an 
affirmation.  Friendship  with  the  Father  is  an  experience  of 
the  soul,  not  a  logical  deduction. 

Jesus,  however,  goes  back  to  the  ancient  law,  which  the 
Sadducees  considered  authoritative,  and  shows  them  that 
according  to  the  law  God  was  "  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but 
of  the  living."  Read  Mark  12:  18-27.  The  future  life,  Jesus 
also  implies,  is  not  a  physical  but  a  spiritual  existence,  "  for 
when  they  shall  rise  from  the  dead,  they  neither  marry, 
nor  are  given  in  marriage ;  but  are  as  angels  in  heaven." 

Immortality  cannot  be  absolutely  proved.  Most  men  be- 
lieve in  it  because  it  is  the  only  reasonable  basis  upon  which 
they  can  live  their  lives.  "  What  Professor  Palmer  of  Har- 
vard wrote  with  fine  restraint,  when  he  recorded  his  wife's 
decease,  we  instinctively  feel  about  the  whole  prospect  of 
personality's  annihilation :  '  Though  no  regrets  are  proper  for 
the  manner  of  her  death,  who  can  contemplate  the  fact  of  it 
and  not  call  the  world  irrational,  if  out  of  deference  to  a 
few  particles  of  disordered  matter  it  excludes  so  fair  a 
spirit?'"^  Dean  Bosworth  expresses  it:  "He  would  be  a 
cheap  God  whose  friendship  could  be  forever  terminated  by 

1  The  Assurance  of  Immortality.  H.  E.  Fosdick.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Macmillan  Company.     New  York. 

125 


126  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

a  bullet  crashing  through  the  brain,  or  by  a  microbe  in  the 
system."  i 

Study  XII.  Second  Day 

The  Great  Commandment,  the  Question  of  Jesus 

Concerning  the  Descent  of  the  Messiah,  the 

Seven  Woes.     Mark  12:28-40;  Matt.  23 

Read  Mark  12:28-34.  The  subject  of  the  great  command- 
ment was  discussed  in  connection  with  the  parable  of  the 
Good  Samaritan  and  need  not  be  studied  in  detail  here. 
Jesus  then  asks  the  Pharisees  a  question  which  they  are 
unable  to  answer.     Read  Mark  12:35-37. 

This  passage  is  not  considered  by  many  scholars  as  an 
original  utterance  of  Jesus,  but,  if  it  is  authentic,  Jesus  is 
proving  to  the  Pharisees  their  ignorance  of  the  law  and 
its  meaning.  Jesus  probably  did  not  wish  to  establish  a 
Messianic  truth  by  such  a  process  of  scriptural  deduction. 
He  was  merely  exposing  the  blind  conceit  of  the  selfish 
religious   casuists. 

During  this  week,  Jesus  probably  pronounced  the  "  woes  " 
found  in  Matthew  23:1-39  and  in  Luke  11:37-54.  Mark 
gives  a  condensed  summary  of  them  in  12 :  38-40.  Read  Mark 
12 :  38-40.  We  will  turn  to  the  account  of  Matthew  for  the 
detailed  study  of  these  denunciations.  Remember  that  the 
Gospel  of  Matthew  was  the  liturgical  gospel  of  the  early 
church  and  at  times  it  reflects  the  conditions  of  the  early 
apostolic  days  rather  than  the  actual  words  of  Jesus. 2 

Read  Matthew  23 :  1-12.  What  a  picture  of  religious 
pretentiousness,  joined  to  a  corrupt  life,  Jesus  gives  us  here. 
Caring  not  for  human  life  but  adding  to  the  suffering  of  the 
poor,   these   men   paraded   as   children   of  God. 

Read  Matthew  23:13.  They  not  only  refused  to  receive 
the  truth  themselves  but  did  all  they  could  to  prevent  others 
from  receiving  it. 

1  Studies   in   the   Life   of  Jesus   Christ.     E.    I.   Bosworth.      Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 
.2  The.  Life  and   Teachings  of  Jesus.     C.   F.   Kent.     Copyrighted    1913. 
Used  by  permission   of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New  York. 


The  Seve?i   Woes  1 27 

Do    you,    by    sneering   at    or    joking    about  the    church    or 

Christian    Association,    prevent    others    from  standing    forth 
for  Christ  and  His   Kingdom? 


Study  XII.  Third  Day 
The  Seven  Woes  (continued).     Matt.  23:15-22 

Read  Matthew  23 :  15-22.  V.  15  is  probably  a  reflection  of 
conditions  in  the  early  church.  In  vv.  16-22,  Jesus  condemns 
the  hypocrisy  of  a  life  legally  correct  but  inwardly  dishonest. 
One  could  not  say  of  these  religious  leaders  that  their  word 
was  as  good  as  their  signed  contract. 

Read  Matthew  23 :  23-24.  How  severely  the  Master  con- 
demns the  man  who  degraded  religion  into  a  set  of  rules 
and  customs  to  the  neglect  of  the  great  fundamental  princi- 
ples  of   life. 

There  are  men  to-day  who  think  it  wrong  to  use  profanity, 
yet  they  do  not  hesitate  to  sell  fifteen  ounces  of  merchandise 
as  a  pound  or  nineteen  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  as  a  ton. 

There  are  others  who  think  it  sinful  to  play  cards,  yet  they 
do  not  pay  their  debts. 

There  are  college  students  who  think  it  wicked  to  dance, 
yet  they  do  not  hesitate  to  cheat  in  examinations. 

There  are  men  who  think  it  wrong  to  play  tennis  on  Sun- 
day, yet  they  do  not  hesitate  to  extort  an  exorbitant  rate  of 
interest   from  the  poor. 

There  are  others  who  think  it  almost  a  sin  not  to  attend 
church  and  prayer  meeting  regularly,  yet  they  are  selfish  and 
disagreeable  in  their  own  homes,  and  fail  to  show  affection 
or  thoughtfulness  for  their  wives. 

Against  this  division  of  the  moral  life,  Jesus  continually 
protested.  Religion  must  not  be  confined  to  a  separate  com- 
partment, but  must  pervade  the  whole  of  life. 

The  writer  is  not  endorsing  profanity,  dancing,  or  Sunday 
recreation.  There  are  moral  questions  involved  in  their  ex- 
ercise, but  God  pity  the  man  who  places  the  supreme  em- 
phasis of  his  life  on  anything  except  the  great  fundamentals 
such  as  love,  mercy,  courage,  truth,  purity,  honesty,  fidelity, 


128  Jesus  arid  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

willingness  to  die  for  the  right.  Jesus  had  a  tender  sympathy 
with  the  weak,  but  condemnation  and  wrath  for  the  hard, 
mean,  and  selfish.     Read  again  carefully  vv.  23-24. 


Study  XII.  Fourth  Day 
The  Seven  Woes  (concluded).     Matt.  23:25-39 

Read  Matthew  23 :  25-28.  In  these  two  woes,  Jesus  con- 
demns the  hypocrisy  of  those  who  outwardly  profess 
religion  but  inwardly  are  corrupt.  Religion,  to  the  mind 
of  Jesus,  was  very  simple.  It  is  friendship  with  the  Father 
expressing  itself  in  the  commonplace,  everyday  relationships 
of  life.  Kindness  in  the  home,  honesty  in  business,  sympathy 
with  the  weak,  fearless  opposition  to  evil,  love  toward  all 
mankind,  are  the  ways  in  which  religion  should  manifest  it- 
self. The  synagogue,  the  ritual,  worship  are  valuable  as  aids 
to  righteousness  but  are  only  so  much  sham  when  they  be- 
come nothing  but  outward  manifestations  or  mere  profes- 
sions. 

Read  Matthew  23 :  29-39.  L^st  of  all,  Jesus  condemns 
these  religious  leaders  because  they  honor  the  prophets  whom 
their  fathers  killed  but  plot  death  for  the  living  prophets 
as  their  fathers  did. 

This  address  closes  with  the  lament  over  Jerusalem,  the 
last  verse  of  which  reflects  the  apocalyptic  ideas  of  the  early 
church. 

Read  again  Matthew  22, :  37-38.  How  impressively  Jesus 
expresses  in  these  verses  the  intense  yearning  of  the  heart 
of  the  Master  to  lift  His  nation  toward  God.  But  they 
would  not.  One  of  the  most  difficult  tasks  in  life  is  to 
create  a  desire  within  people  for  the  best.  How  many  of  us 
would  dare  to  pray,  "  O  God,  give  me  what  I  actually  de- 
sire"? Are  the  pictures  which  our  desires  paint  on  the 
canvas  of  our  imagination  such  that  we  should  be  willing 
to  have  them  placed  on  public  exhibition  ? 

Many  of  us  are  greatly  concerned  about  going  to  heaven, 
but  the  question  which  should  really  concern  us  is  whether 
we  would  be  satisfied  there. 


The  Two  Mites  of  the  Widow  129 

Study  XII.  Fifth  Day 

The  Two  Mites  of  the  Widow.     The  Apocalyptic 

Demonstration.     Mark  12:41-13:37;  Matt.  24 

and  25;  Luke  21:  1-36 

After  denouncing  the  religious  leaders,  Jesus  sat  down 
to  rest  and  to  watch  the  pilgrims  file  by,  dropping  their 
money  into  the  box  at  the  entrance  to  the  temple.  The 
wealthy  and  well-to-do  dropped  in  sums  which  meant  no 
sacrifice  to  them.  A  poor  widow  passed  and  dropped  in 
two  mites  —  a  mere  pittance,  but  it  was  a  sacrifice  for  her 
to  give  even  so  small  a  sum.  As  Jesus  had  burned  with 
indignation  at  the  religious  leaders  who  preyed  upon  the 
poor,  He  now  praised  unsparingly  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  in 
the  oppressed.     Read  Mark  12  :  41-44. 

It  was  not  the  amount  the  widow  gave  but  the  spirit  with 
which  she  gave  it  that  impressed  Jesus.  She  had  given  pro- 
portionately more  than  any,  when  she  should  have  given  less. 
A  man  once  remarked  that  he  did  not  desire  much  money, 
for  fear  it  would  clog  his  soul.  Some  men,  instead  of  own- 
ing their  wealth,  are  owned  by  it.  They  cannot  give  it  away. 
Their  souls  are  cramped,  their  lives  are  mean,  the  joy  of 
giving  and  serving  with  their  money  as  well  as  with  their 
lives  is  unknown  to  them. 

Jesus  intended  the  words  to  be  interpreted  literally  when 
He  said :  "  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's 
eye,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 

Read  the  13th  chapter  of  Mark  in  preparation  for  the  study 
of  to-morrow. 

Read  the  25th  chapter  of  Matthew  and  dwell  especially  upon 
vv.  34-45. 

Study  XII.  Sixth  Day 

The  Time  of  the  Apocalypse.     Mark  13;  Matt.  24; 

Luke  21 :  5-36 

As  the  disciples  left  the  temple,  they  expressed  their 
wonder  and  admiration  at  the  grandeur  and  vastness  of  the 
temple  building.    Jesus,  realizing  that  the  degeneracy  of  the 


130  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of  To-day 

religion  of  His  people  would  eventually  sap  the  moral  fiber 
of  the  nation  and  cause  its  overthrow,  remarked  that  this 
great  building  would  in  time  become  a  mass  of  ruins.  Read 
Mark  13:  1-2.  "  The  variants  in  certain  Western  texts  add  the 
words,  '  But  in  three  days  another  shall  rise  without  hands.' 
These  words  are  implied  by  the  charges  that  are  later  brought 
against  Jesus  (Mark  14:58  and  15:29).  ...  In  these  para- 
doxical words  Jesus  drew  the  contrast  between  the  temple  of 
stone,  with  its  empty  ceremonialism,  and  the  spiritual  temple, 
not  to  be  seen  with  the  eyes,  but  eternal.  The  temple  of 
Herod,  with  its  elaborate  rites  and  traditions  and  creeds,  stood 
in  the  way  of  that  divine  temple,  in  which  alone  God  could  be 
truly  worshipped.  In  the  vivid,  concrete  language  which 
Jesus  used,  three  days  represented  a  brief  period.  The  words 
reveal  his  absolute  conviction  that  ere  long  the  true  and  spir- 
itual temple  would  take  the  place  of  that  structure  and  type 
of  worship  which  Israel's  faith  and  needs  had  so  long  since 
outgrown.".! 

Some  of  the  disciples  then  asked  the  Master  when  this  was 
to  be.  To  their  minds  it  was  a  material  fact  of  which  He  was 
speaking.  Jesus  no  doubt  replied,  as  in  v.  32,  that  no  one 
knew  except  God.     Read  Mark  13 :  3,  4,  32. 

Between  v.  4  and  v.  z^  is  inserted  a  long  apocalyptic  passage 
reflecting  the  ideas  of  the  early  church.  As  it  stands,  it  is 
probably  not  the  words  of  Jesus. ^  The  question  it  raises  is, 
Did  Jesus  give  the  disciples  a  basis  for  their  expectation  of 
His  second  coming?  If  so,  "he  never  gave  it  the  prominent 
place  in  his  teachings  that  it  has  in  the  synoptic  gospels.  Fur- 
thermore, it  seems  to  be  contrary  to  his  conception  of  the 
kingdom  or  rule  of  God.  With  him  the  kingdom  of  God  was 
present,  not  merely  future.  Its  growth  was  gradual,  not 
sudden  and  catastrophic.  It  was  to  be  instituted,  not  through 
a  miracle,  but  through  the  voluntary  cooperation  of  men."  1 

On  the  other  hand,  many  scholars  maintain  that  "Jesus,  in 
his  conception  of  nature,  in  his  apparent  belief  in  a  personal 
devil,  and  in  his  acceptance  of  the  Jewish  tradition  regarding 
the  origin  and  authorship  of  the  Jewish  scriptures,  showed 
himself    in    many    respects    a    son    of    his    age    and    race.     It 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by   permission   of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Song.     New  York. 


The   Time  of  the  Apocalypse  13 1 

would  not  have  been  strange  if,  to  a  certain  extent,  he  had 
also  shared  its  apocalyptic  hopes."  ^  "  The  apocalyptic  pre- 
dictions first  appear  among  the  utterances  that  come  from 
the  closing  days  of  his  work  at  Jerusalem,  when  he  found 
himself  abandoned  by  the  masses  and  confronting  martyr- 
dom at  the  hands  of  the  leaders  of  his'  nation.  With  the 
Jewish  prophets  who  penned  the  later  apocalypses  he  shared 
the  undying  conviction,  even  in  the  face  of  persecution  and 
calamity  and  death,  that  God  was  in  his  world  and  that  the 
right  would  surely  triumph  in  the  end.  This  is  the  great 
principle  that  underlies  all  the  apocalyptic  promises  attributed 
to  him.  It  is  also  noteworthy  that  in  the  parables  and  pass- 
ages, which  come  from  the  oldest  teaching  source  (Q)  and 
which  imply  the  second  coming  of  Jesus,  the  emphasis  is  not 
placed  on  the  miraculous  element  involved  in  that  coming, 
but  on  the  personal  responsibility  of  his  disciples.  '  Watch 
and  be  faithful '  is  the  distinctive  note  in  the  parable  of  the 
wise  and  foolish  maidens  and  of  the  faithful  and  wise 
servant."  ^ 

Personally,  the  writer  does  not  believe  that  Jesus  expressed 
to  the  apostles  in  detail  the  ideas  as  recorded  in  Mark  13,  al- 
though He  may  have  given  them  reason  to  believe  in  His 
early  return  in  triumph.  Read  again  in  Study  IX,  Sixth  Day, 
the  discussion  regarding  the  limitations  of  the  knowledge  of 
Jesus.     Read  thoughtfully  the  25th  chapter  of  Matthew. 

Study  XII.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

We  have  now  come  to  the  closing  scenes  in  the  life  of 
Jesus.  Once  more  we  wish  to  state  that  we  have  thus  far 
tried  to  avoid  discussing  in  these  studies  doctrines  and  be- 
liefs which  are  not  reasonable  and  acceptable  to  an  open- 
minded  man.  We  have  not  discussed  the  miracles  or  the 
mysticism  with  which  people  usually  surround  the  life  of 
Jesus,  but  have  tried  to  emphasize  the  principles  which  He 
taught  and  practiced.     Some  may  say,  "  I  do  not  believe  that 

1  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.  C.  F.  Kent.  Copyrighted  1913. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Charles  Scribner's   Sons.        New   York.  . 


132  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

there  is  a  God."  We  have  not  said  that  there  is.  We  have 
onl}'  said  that  Jesus  beheved  there  is  a  God  and  that  Jesus 
called  God,  Father. 

During  this  past  w^eek,  we  have  seen  that  Jesus  was  un- 
sparing in  His  condemnation  of  the  hypocrite  who  outwardly 
professed  religion  but  inwardly  was  selfish  and  corrupt ; 
the  man  who  was  scrupulous  in  observing  the  debatable 
moral  questions  yet  violated  the  fundamental  principles  of 
love  and  honesty ;  the  man  to  whom  religion  consisted  in 
attendance  at  church  and  in  observance  of  ritual,  and  not 
primarily  in  living  a  good  life ;  the  man  who  evaded  moral 
obligations  through  legal  technicalities ;  the  man  who  cast 
his  vote  for  his  own  interests  regardless  of  the  interests  of 
humanity  involved   in   the  contest. 

In  contrast  with  this  type  of  man,  Jesus  praised  those  who 
sacrificed  themselves  and  their  possessions  because  of  a 
genuine  interest  in  others ;  those  who  tried  to  be  right  and 
to  do  right. 

Fear  of  hypocrisy  has  kept  some  men  from  active  religious 
work.  There  is  a  difference  between  an  honest  sinner  and  a 
hypocrite.  The  hypocrite  is  the  man  who  professes  to  be 
honest  and  inwardly  plans  dishonesty.  An  honest  sinner  is 
the  man  who  is  inwardly  sincere  in  following  the  right.  He 
may  be  weak.  He  may  fall  frequently  but  he  always  falls 
forward.  The  hypocrite  may  be  in  the  judgment  of  men  a 
better  citizen  than  the  honest  sinner,  but  God  judges  differ- 
ently. The  honest  sinner  may  be  a  man  in  whom  there  is  so 
much  of  the  animal  that  he  frequently  yields  to  the  lower  im- 
pulses of  his  nature.  The  hypocrite,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
the  man  who  thoroughly  able  to  control  himself  and  his 
powers  deliberately  plans  wrong  or  dishonesty,  which  he  hides 
by  parading  before  the  community  as  religious.  The  honest 
sinner  will  try  to  atone  for  his  mistakes,  but  the  hypocrite 
will  not  pay  an  honest  debt  which  he  can  evade.  Hypocrisy 
is  determined  by  a  man's  spirit  and  sincerity  of  purpose,  not 
by  his  acts. 

Now,  as  the  shadow  of  the  cross  begins  to  darken  His 
pathway,  we  find  Jesus  firm  in  the  conviction  that  right  will 
ultimately  triumph  and  that  the  foundation  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God  has  been  permanently  laid. 


STUDY  XIII,    FIRST  DAY 

The  Anointing  of  Jesus  at  the  House  of  Simon. 
Mark  14:  i-ii;  Matt.  26:  1-16;  Luke  22:  1-6 

The  priests  determined  to  put  Jesus  to  death  as  soon  as 
they  could  do  so  without  stirring  up  a  riot.  They  did  not 
wish  to  bring  upon  themselves  the  condemnation  of  the 
Roman  authorities,  as  well  as  of  their  own  people.  Read 
Mark  14:  1-2. 

An  incident  occurred  at  a  dinner  party  given  to  Jesus  and 
the  disciples  in  Bethany  which  led  one  of  His  intimate  fol- 
lowers to  betray  the  Master  to  the  priests.  A  woman,  per- 
haps an  outcast,  or  a  woman  of  wealth,  we  do  not  know,  had 
received  some  benefit  at  the  hands  of  Jesus.  A  deep  sense 
of. gratitude  which  flooded  her  soul  expressed  itself  in  pur- 
chasing a  costly  cruse  of  ointment  with  which  on  this  occa- 
sion she  anointed  Jesus.     Read  Mark   14:3-11. 

To  some  of  the  disciples,  this  was  symbolic  of  the  Messianic 
anointing  soon  to  occur  at  which  time  Jesus  would  be  made 
king.  To  Jesus,  it  was  symbolic  of  the  anointing  for  His 
burial.  To  those  prejudiced  against  the  Master,  it  was  mere 
waste,  but  to  Jesus,  it  was  an  expression  of  a  heart  over- 
flowing with  gratitude. 

Jesus'  reiteration  of  the  statement  about  His  death  filled 
Judas  with  contempt.  To  him,  Jesus  probably  appeared  "  as 
a  sad  sentimentalist  unable  to  talk  about  anything  but  dying, 
.  .  .  He  lacked  the  sagacity  and  strength  requisite  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  a  great  state.  He  let  the  crowds  go  un- 
organized. He  would  never  be  able  to  give  the  things  for 
which  Judas  cared  most.  Caiaphas,  Annas,  and  the  rabbis 
were  practical  enough  to  know  how  to  win  !  "  1 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by  permission   of  the  Association  Press.     New  York. 


134  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

Therefore  Judas  quietly  withdrew  and  made  a  bargain  with 
the  chief  priests  and  "  sought  how  he  might  conveniently  de- 
liver him  unto  them," 


Study  XIII.  Second  Day 

Jesus  Eats  the  Passover  with  His  Disciples.    Mark 
14:12-26;  Matt.  26:17-30;  Luke  22:7-38 

With  His  deep  insight  into  human  nature,  Jesus  had 
realized  for  some  time  that  Judas  was  drifting  from  Him. 
When,  at  the  close  of  the  dinner  party  at  Bethany,  Judas 
quietly  went  to  the  city,  Jesus,  no  doubt,  knew  the  reason 
for  his  departure.  On  this  account,  the  Master  maintained 
strict  secrecy  in  regard  to  the  place  He  had  chosen  in  which 
to  celebrate  the  Passover,  There  was  nothing  miraculous 
about  securing  the  place  any  more  than  there  was  in  securing 
the  colt  for  the  triumphal  entry  into  the  city  a  short  time 
previous.     Read   Mark   14:12-16. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  characteristics  of  Jesus  was 
His  profound  faith  in  humanity.  He  saw  in  every  man  great 
possibilities  for  good  and  believed  that  every  one  possessed 
capacity  for  moral  growth.  To  the  very  last,  He  hoped  that 
Judas  of  Kerioth  would  stand  true.  Instead  of  denounc- 
ing him  before  the  other  disciples,  Jesus  made  a  final  appeal 
to  Judas  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  expose  him  to  the  dis- 
pleasure of  his  fellow  disciples.  There  was  no  anger,  bit- 
terness, or  complaint  in  the  appeal  of  Jesus.  It  expressed 
the  pity  of  Jesus  for  Judas.  The  Master  was  grieved,  not  be- 
cause He  was  to  suffer  by  the  treachery  of  Judas,  but  be- 
cause Judas  had  fallen  so  low.  The  heart  of  Jesus  was  full 
of  love  and  compassion  for  all  mankind  and  He  desired  each 
man  to  realize  his  best  possibilities  through  friendship  with 
God.     Read  Mark  14:17-21. 

During  the  course  of  the  meal,  Jesus  distributed  the  bread 
and  the  wine,  with  the  words  that  the  bread  was  His  body, 
and  the  wine,  the  covenant  of  His  blood,  which  was  shed  for 
many.  Read  Mark  14:22-25,  remembering  v,  25  to  be  the 
reflection  of  the  belief  of  tlie  early  church. 


Jesus  Starts  for  Gcthscniane  135 

To  read  into  -these  words  of  Jesus  theological  conceptions 
of  His  person  or  mission  is,  the  writer  believes,  to  do  an 
injustice  to  the  Master. 

The  writer  does  not  believe  that  Jesus  went  to  the  cross  to 
appease  the  anger  of  God  or  to  satisfy  a  sense  of  divine  jus- 
tice, but  that  He  shed  His  blood  to  establish  the  new  cov- 
enant of  friendship  between  God  and  man  into  which  the 
followers  of  Jesus  had  been  introduced  by  Him. 

Men  had  lost  their  way  in  seeking  God.  Jesus  gave  His 
life  that  He  might  direct  men  in  the  right  path  and  lead  them 
into  friendship  with  the  Father.  He  died  to  save  us  from 
sin  by  teaching  and  inspiring  us  to  live  lives  of  loving,  self- 
sacrificing  service.  He  died  that  right  not  might,  truth  not 
falsehood,  love  not  selfishness  might  rule  the  world.  Was 
He  then  the  Son  of  God  in  the  usual  theological  sense?  We 
know  not.  For  we  cannot  think  of  God  in  higher  terms 
than  those  in  which  He  is  revealed  by  the  life  and  death  of 
Jesus. 

Study  XIII.  Third  Day 

Jesus  Starts  for  Gethsemane.     Mark  14 :  26-42 ; 
Matt.  26:31-46;  Luke  22:31-46 

After  singing  a  hymn,  Jesus  and  the  disciples  left  the 
upper  room  and  started  toward  a  garden  called  Gethsemane. 
On  the  way,  Jesus  for  the  last  time  tried  to  prepare  them 
for  the  ordeal  through  which  He  was  about  to  pass.  He 
was  not  thinking  so  much  of  the  present  as  of  the  future. 
He  wanted  the  disciples  so  prepared  that  after  the  cruci- 
fixion and  resurrection  they  could  look  back  and  say,  "  The 
Master  understood  and  tried  to  explain  it  to  us  but  we  could 
not  comprehend.  Now  we  see  the  reason  for,  and  under- 
stand what  He  meant  by  His  frequent  warnings  concerning 
His  death." 

Peter,  however,  was  very  emphatic  in  personally  pro- 
testing against  the  statement  of  the  Master  that  the  disciples 
would  forsake  Him.  Jesus  replied  in  that  memorable  verse, 
Mark  14:30.  Read  Mark  14:27-31  remembering  that  v.  28 
is  probably  a  later  reflection, 


136  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

They  had  now  reached  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  where 
jesus  often  retired  for  quiet.  Eight  of  the  disciples  were 
left  at  the  entrance  to  the  garden.  Only  Peter,  James,  and 
John  accompanied  the  Master  at  this  last  awful  spiritual 
ordeal  through  which  He  passed.  Read  Mark  14:32-42. 
With  a  heart  almost  broken  with  passionate  yearning  to 
bestow  upon  His  people  infinite  blessing,  Jesus  faced  the  last 
great  crisis  of  His  life  alone.  The  uncomprehending  disciples, 
overcome  with  weariness,  fell  asleep.  The  Master  was  about 
to  be  crushed  by  the  greed,  hatred,  and  treachery  of  His 
enemies.  Alone,  misunderstood,  hated,  rejected,  and  about 
to  be  betrayed,  our  Lord  felt  Himself  weaken ;  despair 
surged  over  Him;  He  feared  He  could  not  endure  the  ordeal. 
In  extreme  agony  of  soul,  He  fell  on  His  knees  and  prayed 
that,  if  it  were  possible,  God  might  save  Him  from  the 
cross ;   "  nevertheless   not   what   I   will,   but   what   thou   wilt." 

The  agony  in  Gethsemane  was  not  so  much  a  shrinking 
from  physical  suffering  as  it  was  the  heart-breaking  strug- 
gle with  the  awful  darkness  and  horror  which  seemed  to  be 
crushing  the  soul  of  the  Master.  Other  men,  in  a  less  de- 
gree, have  had  similar  experiences.  Before  meeting  some 
great  crisis  in  their  lives,  these  men  have  felt  a  terrible 
darkness  and  despair  settling  upon  them.  They  struggled 
frantically  just  as  the  men  in  the  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta 
struggled  for  air.  It  was  as  if  all  the  fury  of  hell  had  been 
turned  loose  unhindered  to  stifle  their  souls.  Then,  silently, 
like  the  tide  at  flood,  there  came  into  their  hearts  a  quiet 
peace  and  they  faced  the  cross,  the  flame,  the  council,  or  the 
bitter  taunt  with  a  majestic  calm. 

It  was  such  an  experience  as  this,  as  some  think,  that  the 
Master  passed  through.  It  was  Gethsemane  which  produced 
the  poise  and  calm  that  made  Pilate  marvel.  It  was  Geth- 
semane which  gave  the  peace  of  soul  which  was  undisturbed 
by  the  crown  of  thorns,  the  denial  of  Peter,  or  the  jeers  and 
buflfetings  of  the  crowd.  It  was  Gethsemane  which  gave 
to  the  world  a  picture  of  the  depth  of  love  in  the  heart  of 
Jesus,  the  Christ. 


The  Arrest  of  Jesus  137 


Study  XIII.  Fourth  Day 

The  Arrest  of  Jesus.     Mark  14:43-52;  Matt. 
26:47-56;  Luke  22:47-53 

Judas  quietly  left  the  upper  room  and  notified  the 
authorities  that  now  was  the  time  to  arrest  Jesus  with  the 
least  disturbance.  A  motley  crowd  of  servants  and  em- 
ployees in  the  temple  were  quickly  armed  with  any  weapons 
at  hand.  Following  Judas  they  went  first  to  the  place  where 
Jesus  had  eaten  the  Passover,  said  by  tradition  to  have  been 
the  home  of  John  Mark.  Not  finding  Jesus  there,  Judas 
naturally  thought  of  the  place  to  which  Jesus  was  accustomed 
to  retire,  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  Thither  he  led  the 
crowd. 

If  tradition  is  correct  in  assigning  the  place  of  the  Pass- 
over to  the  home  of  John  Mark,  then  vv.  51-52  probably 
refer  to  Mark  himself.  He  was  perhaps  asleep  in  a  lower 
room  when  the  noise  of  the  crowd  led  by  Judas  awoke  him. 
Quickly  throwing  a  garment  around  himself,  he  followed 
the  crowd  toward  Gethsemane,  Judas  rightly  supposing  that 
the  Master  had  retired  to  this  retreat  for  quiet. 

"  Let  your  imagination  produce  for  you  the  scene  in  the 
garden  —  the  moonlight,  the  flaring  torches,  the  tensely  eager 
forms  moving  about  among  the  lights  and  shadows  under  the 
trees."  1 

The  crowd  reached  the  garden  as  Jesus  was  speaking,  for 
the  last  time,  to  the  three  sleepy  disciples.  Judas  approached 
Him  and  said,  "Master,  master;  and  kissed  him." 

To  read  of  the  betrayal  of  Jesus  bj'-  Judas  makes  us  shud- 
der and  it  calls  for  our  admiration  and  reverence  when 
we  realize  that  the  Master  cherished  no  resentment  or  bit- 
terness, but  was  only  grieved  at  the  fall  of  Judas. 

The  only  protest  of  Jesus,  on  His  arrest,  was  against  the 
swords  and  staves  with  which  the  crowd  was  armed.  He 
was  willing  to  be  tried  by  any  just  tribunal  in  the  world. 
He  had  no  intention  of  resisting,  and  He  protested  against 
one's  supposing  that  He  would  shed  blood  to  save  His  own 
life.     Read  Mark  14 :  43-52. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission  of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 


138  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 


Study  XIII.  Fifth  Day 

The  Trial  of  Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrin.     Mark 
14:53-65;  Matt.  26:57-68;  Luke  22:54,  63-71 

According  to  Luke,  Jesus  was  guarded  until  morning  and 
then  tried  before  the  council,  the  buffetings  and  indignities 
committed  by  the  servants  of  the  high  priest  occurring  before 
the  trial.  This  is  probably  correct,  but  as  we  are  not  con- 
cerned with  the  chronological  details,  we  will  continue  to 
follow  the  account  of  Mark. 

The  Sanhedrin  was  not  allowed  to  put  a  man  to  death. 
That  authority  rested  with  the  Roman  governor.  This  trial  of 
Jesus,  then,  was  not  as  much  a  trial  as  it  was  an  examina- 
tion by  which  the  priests  hoped  to  secure  sufficient  evidence 
to  go  to  Pilate  with  the  statement  that  Jesus  aspired  to  be 
king.     That    would    be    treason    against    Caesar.     Read    Mark 

14 :  53-65- 

"  Arrayed  against  Jesus  on  this  awful  night  were  the  ec- 
clesiastical hate,  the  religious  bigotry,  the  political  unscrupu- 
lousness  of  one  of  the  most  intense  races  of  the  world."  ^ 

At  this  trial,  Jesus  made  the  first  public  statement  of 
His  Messiahship,  v.  62,  and  at  the  same  time  affirmed  His 
belief  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  His  life  and  work.  Mark 
has  expressed  this  in  the  language  of  the  apocalyptic  hopes 
of   the  early  church. 

Armed  with  this  confession,  the  priests  kept  Jesus  bound 
until  they  could  carry  Him  to  Pilate  for  trial. 

In  the  meantime  the  servants  and  others  spat  on  Him  and, 
covering  His  face,  slapped  Him. 

We  have  read  these  closing  passages  of  the  life  of  Jesus 
so  often,  that  there  is  a  danger  of  their  becoming  common- 
place. Think 'of  a  great,  strong  man.  for  Jesus  must  have 
been  physically  powerful,  who  blazed  at  injustice  done  to 
others,  especially  the  weak  and  helpless,  yet  endured  personal 
abuse   with   calmness   and    without    resentment. 

1  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Chri'^t.  E.  I.  P.osworth.  Copyrighted 
1904.     Used  by   permission   of   the   Asso-iation    Press.     New    York. 


The  Denial  of  Peter  and  the  Trial  Before  Pilate       139 


Study  XIII.  Sixth  Day 

The  Denial  of  Peter  and  the  Trial  Before  Pilate. 
Mark  14:66-15:15;  Matt.  26:69-27:26;  Luke 

22: 55-62,  23: 1-25 

The  prediction  of  Jesus  regarding  the  desertion  of  the 
disciples  came  true.  Peter  alone  had  the  courage  to  follow 
at  a  distance,  and  even  he  deserted  Jesus  at  the  last.  Read 
Mark  14 :  66-72. 

The  faith  of  Jesus  in  mankind  was  misplaced  in  the  case 
of  Judas.  Yet  in  the  case  of  Peter  it  was  abundantly  re- 
warded. This  over-zealous,  impetuous,  emotional,  unsteady, 
Galilean  fisherman,  Jesus  made  into  a  leader  of  the  early 
church  who  fearlessly  appeared  before  councils  and  even 
faced  death,  so  tradition  tells  us,  without  quailing. 

In  the  early  morning,  as  soon  as  Pilate  would  receive 
them,  the  Jews   brought  Jesus   before   the   Roman   governor. 

Luke  classifies  the  charges  they  made  against  Jesus  as  (i) 
perverting  the  nation,  (2)  refusing  tribute  to  Caesar,  and 
(3)  assuming  to  be  king.  It  was  the  last  charge  which  they 
pressed,  and  is  the  principal  one  given  in  Mark  15 :  1-3. 
Read  Mark  15  :  1-5. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  Pilate  marveled?  He  had  seen 
men  agitated  in  situations  less  trying  than  that  in  which 
Jesus  was  placed.  He  had  seen  prisoners  tremble  and  heard 
them  beg  for  their  lives.  Others  had  summoned  witnesses  for 
their  side  and  argued  their  cause  logically  and  fervently. 
Some  had  not  hesitated  to  offer  bribes.  Here  was  a  man 
calm,  undisturbed,  and  seemingly  indifferent  to  his  fate.  He 
did  not  offer  a  bribe,  and  did  not  even  make  a  personal  reply 
to  the  charges  against  him;     Pilate  marveled. 

Jesus  knew  what  He  was  facing.  The  Jewish  leaders  had 
determined  to  kill  Him.  Whether  right  or  wrong,  nothing 
would  satisfy  them  but  His  death.  Jesus  knew  Pilate  to  be 
selfish,  and  hard,  and  cowardly  in  the  face  of  danger  to  him- 
self. Justice  and  right  did  not  concern  him  unless  it  was 
convenient. 

Therefore  the  Master  answered  nothing.     It  was  as  if  He 


140  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of  To-day 

had  said  to  Pilate:  ''Why  waste  words?  These  priests  are 
determined  to  have  my  Hfe  and  you  have  not  sufificient  man- 
hood to  face  the  personal  consequences  of  antagonizing  them, 
even  though  justice  and  right  are  at  stake." 

As  Jesus  looked  at  Pilate,  the  Roman  felt  guilty.  The 
prisoner  became  the  judge  and  the  judge  became  the  prisoner. 
It  was  Pilate  before  Christ,  not  Christ  before  Pilate. 
Matthew  says  that  Pilate  took  a  basin  of  water  and  washed 
his  hands  of  the  affair.  Responsibility  cannot  be  so  shifted. 
It  was  the  task  of  Pilate  to  decide,  and  decide  he  must. 
Therefore  he  released  unto  them  Barabbas.  Read  Mark 
15:6-15. 


Study  XIII.  Seventh  Day 
Review 

1.  Do  we  realize  that  Jesus  desires  from  us  the  same  over- 
flowing love  and  devotion  which  the  woman  showed  by  her 
gift  of  the  ointment  ?  Christianity  is  not  so  much  a  system 
of  thought  or  a  theory  of  life  as  it  is  an  attachment  to  a 
Person,  It  is  love  and  friendship  between  the  Master  and 
us. 

2.  Let  us  think  now  of  the  profound  faith  of  Jesus  in  man- 
kind. He  sees  possibilities  in  us  that  we  do  not  realize.  Re- 
gardless of  our  past.  He  stands  ready  to  lead  us  into  paths 
of  great  usefulness  if  we  will  follow  Him. 

3.  Jesus  looked  upon  His  death  as  a  sacrifice  for  men.  He 
could  have  avoided  the  cross.  If  He  had  so  decided,  how 
wretched  this  world  would  have  been.  Are  we  willing  to 
follow  in  His  train? 

4.  Jesus  prayed  for  the  cup  to  pass,  but  this  request  was 
not  granted.  Instead  God  gave  Him  strength  to  drink  the 
cup  to  the  bitter  dregs.  Can  we  pray  to-day,  "  Not  as  I  will 
but  as  Thou  wilt,  O  God  "  ? 

5.  Are  we  always  fighting  for  our  rights  or  can  we  bear 
personal  injustice  without  resentment? 

6.  We  have  not  the  opportunity  to  deny  our  Lord  as  Peter 
did,  but  we  do  deny  Him,  by  stating  on  the  application   for 


Review  141 

admission  that  we  have  read  six  books  of  Virgil  when  we 
have  read  only  four,  by  reporting  sick  when  we  cut  class  be- 
cause we  were  unprepared  in  our  lessons,  by  sending  home 
for  money  to  buy  books  and  spending  the  money  for  pleasure, 
by  abusing  college  property,  by  wiring  for  an  extension  of 
furlough  on  account  of  illness  when  no  one  is  sick,  by  not 
paying  our  debts,  by  being  a  coward  in  the  face  of  an  evil 
which  threatens  us,  by  unkindness,  by  selfishness,  by  wrong- 
doing of  any  kind. 

7.  Do  you  ever  try  to  shift  your  responsibility  upon  the 
shoulders  of  others?  If  it  is  yours  to  decide  what  is  right 
or  wrong,  no  technical  excuses  can  shift  the  responsibility. 


STUDY  XIV.     FIRST  DAY 

The  Crucifixion  of  Jesus.     Mark  15:  16-41;  Matt. 
27:27-56;  Luke  23:26-49 

Jesus  was  led  away  from  the  hall  of  Pilate  for  execution. 
Before  starting  on  their  way  to  Golgotha,  Jesus  was  sub- 
jected to  the  rough,  cruel  jests  and  mockings  of  the  Roman 
soldiers.  One  cannot  conceive,  on  human  grounds,  how  Jesus 
maintained  His  self-control  under  such  provocation.  Previ- 
ous to  this,  He  could  have  raised  an  army,  if  He  had  so  de- 
sired, and  crushed  these  soldiers,  but  that  was  not  the  way  to 
ultimate  triumph.     Read  Mark  15:  16-21. 

Let  us  follow  the  group  to  the  place  of  execution.  When 
the  coarse  play  of  the  soldiers  is  over,  the  procession  starts 
for  the  place  of  crucifixion.  Jesus  is  worn  out  with  the  aw- 
ful tension  of  the  past  hours,  and  so  another  man,  one  Simon 
of  Cyrene,  is  forced  to  bear  His  cross.  .  .  .  Golgotha  is 
reached.  The  cross  is  laid  on  the  ground  and  the  Saviour  is 
stretched  upon  it.  Then  fall  the  heavy  blows  of  the  huge 
hammer  as  the  spikes  are  driven  through  the  flesh,  crushing 
the  bones.  The  muscles,  of  the  arm  tighten  and  twitch.  A 
wave  of  suffering  seems  to  surge  over  the  limbs.  The  title 
which  the  Jews  falsely  accused  Him  of  seeking,  "  The  King 
of  the  Jews,"  is  tacked  in  derision  at  the  top  of  the  upright. 
By  means  of  ropes  the  cross  is  righted  and  settles  in  the 
ground  with  a  sickening  thud.  Then  the  Master  speaks. 
What  is  it  He  says?  Is  it  a  curse  on  the  priests,  is  it  a  bitter 
complaint  against  the  cowardly  disciples,  is  it  a  cry  for  re- 
venge, is  it  a  tirade  against  Pilate?  "Father,  forgive  them; 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  (Luke  23:34.)  Thus 
He  requites  His  murderers. 

To  the  last.  He  loved  men  and  gave  His  life  for  men  that 
Lie  might  lead  them  into  friendship  with  God.  He  is  indeed 
oir  Saviour  and  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  for  He  saved  us 

142 


2^ he   Crucifixion   of  Jesus  143 

from  lives  of  sin  and  seliishness  and  led  us  into  paths  of  love 
and  fellowship  with  God. 

It  was  not  unusual  for  men  after  crucifixion  to  hang  on 
the  cross  two  or  three  days  before  dying.  The  awful  agony 
of  soul,  and  the  sad  disappointment  of  rejected  love,  caused 
Jesus  to  die  heartbroken  in  a  few  hours.  Read  Mark 
15 :  22-41. 

"  For  the  human  race  the  death  of  Jesus  was  the  trans- 
figuration of  all  that  he  was  and  taught.  This  fact  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  profound  words,  recorded  in  the  Fourth 
Gospel:  '  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  to  me.'  It 
was  the  challenge  to  his  race,  to  his  generation,  to  the  whole 
world  to  halt  and  to  heed.  History  presents  many  illustra- 
tions of  this  principle.  The  tragic  death  of  Lincoln,  at  the 
height  of  his  power  and  usefulness,  transfigured  and  en^ 
nobled  the  simplicity  and  beauty  of  his  character  and  the 
greatness  of  his  service  for  humanity.  Jesus'  death  was  the 
supreme  demonstration  that  the  one  unfailing  way  in  which 
sinners  may  be  saved  is  the  way  of  love  and  complete  self- 
sacrifice.  His  death  was  the  final,  incontrovertible  proof  of 
his  love  and  willingness  to  give  himself  for  them  and  for 
all  who  needed  his  help. 

"  In  an  equally  true  and  concrete  sense  it  was  the  noblest 
expression  of  God's  love  for  man.  Thus  Jesus'  death  trans- 
formed the  friend  of  the  disciples,  and  the  shepherd  of  the 
lost  sheep  of  Israel,  into  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  ex- 
pressed the  purpose  and  meaning  of  his  life  in  terms  in- 
telligible to  all  ages  and  races."  ^ 


Study  XIV.  Second  Day 

The  Burial  and  Resurrection  of  Jesus.     Mark  15: 
42-16:20;  Matt.  27:57-28:20;  Luke  23: 

50-24:53 

The    disciples    fled    from    the    Master    at    the    time    of    the 
crucifixion,   but   the  tragic  event  brought   forth   friends   who 

1  The   Life  and   Teachings   of   Jesus.      C.    F.    Kent.      Copyrighted    1913. 
Used  by  permission   of  the  Charles   Scribner's  Sons.        New   York. 


144  Jesus  and  the  Young  Alan  of  To-day 

had  quietly  followed  Jesus,  and  who  were  unknown  before. 
Joseph  of  Arimathea  was  one  of  these.  He  asked  for  the 
dead  body  of  Jesus  and  after  preparations  for  burial  laid  it  in 
his  own  tomb.     Read  Mark  15:42-47. 

What  a  pitiable  ending  to  such  a  promising  life !  A 
stranger,  passing  through  Jerusalem  at  that  time,  saw  the 
lonely  burial  procession  and  inquired  about  it.  The  Roman 
centurion  told  him :  "  This  man,"  and  he  pointed  to  the 
cross,  "  had  an  idea  that  he  was  born  to  be  king  of  the  Jews. 
He  was  evidently  not  the  kind  of  king  they  wanted  therefore 
they  got  Pilate  to  kill  him.  But  he  was  man  enough  to  be 
king  of  any  Jews  I  have  ever  seen.  He  faced  Pilate  with  a 
poise  and  calm  that  made  the  procurator  wonder.  He  en- 
dured the  buffetings  and  jeers  of  the  guard  without  wincing 
and  was  nailed  to  that  cross  without  a  murmur.  It's  strange 
how  some  people  become  obsessed  with  queer  ideas  at  times. 
But  it's  all  over  now."  And  the  centurion  marshaled  the 
guard  for  the  return  to  the  city. 

The  stranger  next  inquired  of  a  Jew,  in  the  circle  of  the 
high  priest,  about  this  king.  "  What,  this  impostor !  "  said 
the  Jew.  "  He  assuming  to  be  our  Messiah !  Nothing  but 
a  carpenter  from  Nazareth  who  drew  together  some  publicans 
and  sinners  for  his  disciples  and  then,  denouncing  the  re- 
ligious leaders,  said  he  was  the  Christ.  But  that's  the  end 
of  him  and  it'll  be  a  good  warning  to  any  other  such  pre- 
tenders."    And  the  Jew  went  toward  the  city. 

The  stranger  then  approached  Joseph  of  Arimathea  as  he 
was  leaving  the  tomb  and  inquired  of  Joseph  about  the  friend 
he  had  just  buried.  Joseph  quietly  said:  "You  know  we 
have  been  looking  for  God  to  send  His  chosen  one  to  re- 
store the  Kingdom  to  Israel  and  to  rule  over  our  nation  in 
righteousness.  Many  of  us  thought  Jesus,"  and  he  nodded 
toward  the  tomb,  "  was  the  one.  He  taught  as  no  one  has 
ever  taught  us.  He  had  a  great,  deep,  loving  heart.  He  was 
courageous  and  fearless.  He  had  a  personality  which  drew 
you  to  him.  He  said  he  was  the  Messiah  but  he  would  not 
let  his  followers  fight  for  him.  Although  my  life  is  nobler 
by  having  known  him,  his  death  is  a  sad,  disappointment  to 
us."     And  Joseph  went  on  his  way. 

Dismayed    and    disappointed,    the    disciples    wended    their 


The   Burial  and   Resurrection    of  Jesus  145 

way  toward  Galilee.  Jesus  was  dead.  Their  hopes  had  been 
dashed  to  the  ground,  their  hearts  were  sad.  They  would 
remain  in  quiet  obscurity  for  a  few  days  until  the  wave  of 
popular  clamor  had  subsided  and  danger  to  themselves  had 
passed.     Then  they  would  take  up  their  daily  tasks  again. 

But  suddenly  this  group  of  frightened,  dismayed  disciples 
reappeared  in  public  with  the  astonishing  proclamation  that 
their  Teacher  had  risen  from  the  dead  and  had  appeared 
before  them.  So  absolutely  convinced  of  this  fact  were  they, 
that  they  began  to  spread  the  news  in  all  directions  and  not 
one  but  many  laid  down  their  lives  in  the  faith  that  it  was 
true.     Read  Mark  16:  1-20. 


Study  XIV.   Third  Day 

The  Resurrection  of  Jesus  (concluded).     I  Cor. 

15:  1-8;  Acts  9:  1-7 

Let  us  consider  to-day  what  actually  happened  regarding 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus.  Read  Luke  24 :  1-53.  Did  the 
physical  body  of  Jesus  which  was  dead  come  forth  from  the 
tomb? 

Perhaps  the  account  of  the  appearance  of  Jesus  to  Paul  on 
the  road  to  Damascus  may  help,  as  this  is  the  earliest  account 
we  have  of  the  resurrection,  and  as  Paul  classifies  this  ap- 
pearance to  him  as  the  same  as  the  appearances  to  the  other 
disciples.     Read   I   Corinthians   15:1-8  and   Acts  9:1-7. 

It  is  evident  that  the  appearance  to  Paul  was  a  spiritual 
manifestation  and  not  actual  contact  with  a  physical  body. 
Moreover,  the  idea  of  Paul  of  the  future  life  is  that  of  a 
spiritual  existence  in  which  our  physical  body  is  transformed 
into  a  spiritual  body  as  was  that  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
If  the  resurrected  body  of  Jesus  was  physical,  the  accounts 
which  speak  of  the  Master  appearing  in  a  closed  room  with 
all  doors  locked  and  again  as  vanishing  from  sight  are  evi- 
dently inconsistent  with  such  a  theory.  It  must  also  be  re- 
alized that  the  task  of  the  early  church  was  not  to  prove 
the  divinity  of  Jesus  but  to  prove  His  humanity.     His  spir- 


146  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

itual  presence  was  so  manifested  that  those  who  had  not 
known  Jesus  while  on  earth,  began  to  ask  if  He  ever  actually 
lived  as  a  man.  This  naturally  gave  a  materialistic  tone  to 
the  accounts  of  the  resurrection. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  theory  that  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
disciples  arose  from  a  return  of  their  love  for  Jesus,  and 
from  intense  meditation  upon  His  teaching,  and  upon  the 
Jewish  scriptures  in  the  light  of  the  crucifixion,  does  not 
adequately  account  for  the  remarkable  change  in  these  Gali- 
leans. Many  of  the  disciples  never  fully  comprehended  the. 
scope  and  nature  of  the  mission  of  Jesus.  H  contact  and 
conversation  with  Him  while  on  earth  could  not  enlighten 
their  minds,  how  could  it  be  accomplished  by  meditation, 
after  a  blow  as  crushing  as  the  crucifixion? 

Moreover,  untrained  men  do  not  lay  down  their  lives  for 
the  sake  of  theories  logically  deduced  which  have  no  basis 
in  fact.  Occasionall}^  one  may  do  so,  but  here  is  a 
laFge  group  of  men  dismayed,  bewildered,  and  fright- 
ened, who  suddenly  face  the  world  with  the  declara- 
tion that  their  Teacher  who  was  dead  has  appeared 
to  them  and  in  proof  of  their  conviction,  suffer  per- 
secution and  death.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  conviction,  we 
to-day  would  not  be  studying  the  life  of  Jesus,  for  the  Gos- 
pels would  not  have  been  written.  Had  it  not  been  for 
this  conviction,  the  Christian  church  would  not  have  been 
founded.  Although  the  writer  does  not  believe  in  a  physical 
resurrection,  he  knows  that  something  happened  after  the 
crucifixion  and  that  something,  inconsistent  as  this  statement 
may  seem,  he  believes  to  be  as  much  a  fact  of  history  as  the 
crucifixion  of  Jesus.  Certain  it  is,  that  the  something  that 
did  happen  which  we  call  the  resurrection,  convinced  the 
disciples  that  Jesus  was  with  them  and,  as  some  one  has  ex- 
pressed it,  "  No  matter  whether  what  they  saw  could  be  pho- 
tographed or  not  they  felt  the  personality  of  Jesus.  The 
perfectly  spiritualized  body  was  there." 

The  results  cannot  be  questioned,  therefore  the  cause  must 
be  adequate. 


The  Path  to  Intellectual  Comprehension         147 


Study  XIV.  Fourth  Day 

Obedience  and  Unselfish  Service  the  Path  to 
Intellectual  Comprehension 

We  have  now  completed  the  study  of  the  life  of  Jesus. 
We  have  avoided  all  theological  discussions  and  w^ith  the  ex- 
ception of  the  resurrection,  have  postponed  the  question  of 
miracles.  We  have  sought  to  picture  the  man  Jesus  and  to 
study  the  principles  of  His  teachings.  What,  then,  is  there 
for  the  man  who  can  go  no  further,  tlie  man  to  whom  the 
resurrection  appears  as  an  hallucination  and  to  whom  God 
is  unknown  ? 

In  the  first  place,  everyone  knows  that  he  is  living.  We! 
may  douht  everything  but  our  own  existence  and  even  at-, 
tempt  to  disprove  that,  but  actually  we  have  to  live  and  we 
know  it.  If  we  have  to  live,  we  want  to  live  on  the  highest 
possible  plane.  Then  we  should  hold  fast  to  the  truth 
that  we  have  and  live  our  lives,  as  far  as  possible,  ac- 
cording to  the  example  and  principles  of  Jesus.  We 
are  to  be  kind  and  willing  to  share  with  others ;  we  are 
to  be  courageous ;  we  are  to  detest  hypocrisy  and  snobbish- 
ness ;  we  are  to  be  cheerful ;  we  are  to  be  pure ;  we  are  to 
be  honest ;  we  are  to  be  truthful ;  and  we  are  to  be  unselfish 
in  active  service  for  others.  Jesus  came  not  to  give  us  a 
theological  system  but  a  way  of  life.  The  only  avenue  to  a 
proper  intellectual  conception  of  Christ  is  through  following 
Him. 

A  teacher  may  tell  you  that  by  mixing  two  chemicals  a 
certain  precipitate  will  be  formed.  You  may  doubt  it,  you 
may  argue  about  it,  you  may  meditate  upon  it,  but  you  should 
try  it.  You  may  doubt  the  existence  of  God,  Jesus  may 
be  only  a  man,  the  immortality  of  the  soul  a  mere  dream, 
but  you  should  not  brood  over  such  questions,  but  try  to 
follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Master.  Is  there  a  student 
going  down  through  drink  or  gambling?  Try  to  help  him. 
Is  there  dishonesty  in  athletics?  Then  fight  it.  Is  there 
a  group  of  immigrants  near  you  needing  help?  Then 
spend   yourself    for    them.     Is    there    a    struggling   ex-convict 


148  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

needing  a  job?  Get  him  one.  Is  there  a  lonely  man  needing 
a  friend?  Then  be  a  friend  to  him.  Is  there  a  heartsick 
mother  craving  affection?  Then  show  a  little.  Is  there  a 
child-labor  law  needed?  Then  advocate  it.  Move,  serve, 
love,  act,  do  something  in  accord  with  the  fearless,  loving 
principles  of  Jesus,  and  soon  there  will  come  into  your  life 
a  certainty  about  spiritual  truths  about  which  you  are  now 
uncertain.  You  will  not  only  think  that  they  are  true,  you 
will  know  that  they  are  true,  for  they  will  be  facts  of  ex- 
perience tested  in  the  laboratbry  of  life. 

Dr.  E.  L.  Trudeau,  the  eminent  physician  of  Saranac  Lake, 
expressed  this  thought  when  he  said :  "  The  more  I  live,  the 
more  I  feel  that  what  we  need  is  Faith,  Faith  in  the  simple 
teaching  of  Christ  as  a  moving  force  in  our  lives,  not  as 
merely  something  to  theorize  about.  I  do  not  believe  any- 
one ever  gets  Faith  —  the  real  kind  of  Faith  —  by  learned 
books  or  discussions,  but  simply  through  living  it." 

"  If  there  be  no  God  and  no  future  state,  yet  even  then," 
said  Frederick  W.  Robertson,  "  it  is  better  to  be  generous 
than  selfish,  better  to  be  chaste  than  licentious,  better  to  be 
true  than  false,  better  to  be  brave  than  to  be  a  coward.  .  .  . 
Thrice  blessed  is  he  who  —  when  all  is  drear  and  cheerless  — 
has  obstinately  clung  to  moral  good.  Thrice  blessed,  be- 
cause his  night  shall  pass  into  clear,  bright  day."  1 

"  If  any  man  will  to  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doc- 
trine, whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself." 

John  7'-^7- 

We  come  back  then  to  the  subject  of  the  study  for  to-day. 
Obedience  and  unselfish  service  is  the  path  to  intellectual 
comprehension  of   Jesus    Christ. 


Study  XIV.  Fifth  Day 
The  Essence  of  Religion 

Yesterday   we    asserted    that    regardless   of    the    doubts    or 
unbeliefs   of   a  man  he   should   live   in   accordance   with  the 

1  Quoted  from  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.     F.   G.    Pea- 
body.     The  Macmillan   Company.     New  York. 


The  Essence  of  Religion  149 

life  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  To-day,  we  wish  to  show  that 
living  a  good  life  was,  according  to  Jesus,  the  supreme  re- 
quirement of  religion.  Let  us  look  back  over  these  studies 
and  realize  how  little  thought  Jesus  gave  to  creeds,  ritual,  or 
churchmanship.  Not  that  Jesus  condemned  creeds  or 
churches,  for  He  did  not.  They  are  necessary  adjuncts  in 
the  development  and  nurture  of  the  religious  life.  But  they 
are  means,  not  ends.  He  continually  laid  the  emphasis  on 
actually  doing  the  will  of  God.  It  was  a  glorification  of  the 
tasks  of  everyday  life,  it  was  an  uncompromising  attitude 
toward  evil,  it  was  open-mindedness,  repentance,  self-control, 
self-forgetfulness,  mercy,  purity,  the  use  of  one's  talents, 
social  democracy,  righteousness,  equity,  faith  in  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  right,  self-sacrifice,  love,  that  Jesus  continually 
taught.  In  the  account  of  Jesus  of  the  last  judgment,  men 
are  judged  by  their  lives.  It  is  the  fruit  by  which  the  tree 
is  judged.  It  is  not  the  labels  but  the  contents  which  are  to 
be  examined.  Who  then  can  enter  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven, 
the  churchman,  the  evangelist,  the  orthodox,  the  philantho- 
pist?  Perhaps,  but  not  unless  they  have  done  the  will  of  the 
Father  who  is  in  Heaven. 

Who  is  the  foolish  man?  The  man  who  hears  and  believes 
but  does  not  live  according  to  his  beliefs.  Who  is  the  wise 
man?  The  man  who  hears,  believes,  and  lives  according  to 
his  beliefs. 

Who  are  the  friends  and  brothers  of  Jesus,  what  kind  of 
relatives  did  He  want?  "Whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of 
God,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and   sister,  and  mother." 

Dean  Hodges  expressed  it  thus :  "  He  cared  about  con- 
duct. He  wanted  to  make  men  honest,  and  pure,  and  help- 
ful, and  thus  to  increase  the  happiness  of  life.  .  .  .  He  died  in 
defense  of  the  proposition  that  true  religion  is  essentially 
moral,  and  that  the  supreme  requirement  of  religion  is  char- 
acter." 1 

1  Elveryman's  Religion.  George  Hodges.  Copyrighted  191 1.  Used 
by  permission  of  tlie   Macmillan   Company.     New  York. 


I50  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man   of   To-day 

Study  XIV.  Sixth  Day 
The  Motive  Power  —  The  Living  Christ 

After  stud^'ing  the  life  of  Jesus  by  a  method  similar  to 
that  which  we  have  pursued,  a  Chinese  student  remarked 
at  this  point,  "  It  is  easy  to  say,  '  Live  a  good  life,'  but 
how  are  you  going  to  do  it?"  In  other  words,  it  is  easy  to 
place  ideals  before  ourselves  but  we  need  power  to  realize 
the  ideals  in  our  lives.  It  is  here  that  Christianity  dif- 
fers from  the  non-Christian  religions.  It  is  a  religion  of 
power.  This  was  the  message  which  Paul  sounded  in  the 
ears  of  the  Roman  world,  the  gospel  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation.  Men  long  since  had  had  exalted  ideas  placed 
before  them,  but  they  needed  a  dynamic  in  their  lives  in  order 
to  produce  character  such  as  the  ideas  portrayed.  What  is 
there  then  in  the  Christian  religion  which  accounts  for  this 
power?  What  was  it  which  made  the  cowardly  disciples  be- 
come fearless  and  courageous  ?  They  said  it  was  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Risen  Christ. 

The  expression,  "  In  Christ,"  or  "  in  the  Lord  "  is  repeated 
as  if  it  were  a  refrain  in  the  letters  of  Paul  until  in  Galatians 
2:20,  he  says,  "It  is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ  liveth 


in  me." 


It  is  often  said  of  a  man  that  he  needs  a  strong  friend  to 
keep  him  steady.  The  early  apostles  said  that  the  Risen 
Christ  was  with  them  as  such  a  friend.  They  felt  their  lives 
charged  with  the  unseen  but  real  presence  of  Christ. 

What  was  the  dynamic  in  the  life  of  Jesus?  It  could 
not  have  been  merely  His  own  presence.  It  was  His  rela- 
tionship with  the  Father  and  His  sense  of  the  presence  and 
approval  of  God.  It  was  into  this  relationship  that  Jesus 
endeavored  to  lead  men. 

When  we  speak  of  friendship  with  Christ  and  friendship 
with  God,  we  are  not  referring  to  different  relationships. 
"  We  cannot  say  that  we  have  an  experience  of  communion 
with  Jesus  which  is  distinguishable  from  our  experience  of 
communion  with  God,"  says  Henry  Sloane  Coffin ;  "  we  re- 
spond through  Jesus  to  God.     But  if  our  God  be  the  God  of 


The  Motive  Power — The  Living  Christ        15 1 

Jesus,  we  cannot  think  of  Jesus  as  anywhere  in  the  universe 
out  of  fellowship  with  Him.  His  God  would  not  be  Him- 
self, nor  w^ould  Jesus  be  Himself,  were  the  fellowship  be- 
tween Them  interrupted ;  and  we  cannot  think  of  ourselves 
as  in  touch  with  the  One,  without  being  at  the  same  time  in 
touch  with  the  Other."  1 

Define  the  Christian  djmamic  as  you  please,  the  Spirit  of 
God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Living  Christ,  there  is  a  power  in 
Christianity  which  comes  by  the  indwelling  presence  of  the 
Infinite. 

"  Yet,  if  it  is  true,"  says  Durant  Drake,  "  that  salvation 
has  come  in  greater  or  lesser  degree  to  multitudes  of  men 
of  all  faiths,  it  is  also  true  that  it  has  come  in  the  most 
striking  measure  through  Christ.  No  other  powder  ever  let 
loose  in  the  world  has  accomplished  nearly  so  much  in  free- 
ing men  from  the  bondage  of  sin  as  the  powder  of  his  life 
and  death.  The  great  highroad  of  deliverance  for  sin-ridden 
men  is  that  of  overcoming  evil  with  good ;  a  great  love,  a 
great  loyalty,  can  banish  temptations  against  which  a  direct 
struggle  is  futile.  So  a  spiritual  union  with  Christ  has  for 
millions  wrought  that  transformation  of  character  which  w^e 
call  regeneration ;  and  the  surest  way  to  save  men  who  have 
sunk  far  into  sin  has  proved  to  be,  after  winning  their  will 
to  repent,  to  bring  them  to  Christ."  ^ 

"  But,"  says  some  one,  "  you  are  speaking  with  practical 
certaint}^  of  a  mystical  experience.  I  never  had  such  an  ex- 
perience." We  speak  of  friendship  with  Christ  as  a  fact  be- 
cause to  those  realizing  His  presence,  it  is  a  fact.  If  the 
testimony  of  thousands  of  straightforward,  self-sacrificing, 
transformed  Christians  is  of  any  value,  then  it  is  a  fact,  and 
an  experience  within  the  reach  of  everybody. 

A  few  suggestions  may  aid  in  realizing  such  an  experience. 
First,  a  friendship  with  Christ  can  be  cultivated  by  a  devo- 
tional study  of  His  life  and  teachings  in  order  that  our 
ideals  of  life  and  conduct  may  be  clarified.  Secondly,  we 
may  cultivate  His  friendship  by  regular  communion  in  prayer. 
If  your  faith  is  weak,  make  in  sincerity,  such  a  prayer  as  this. 

1  Some  Christian  Convictions.  H.  S.  Coffin.  Copyrighted  191 5. 
Used    by   permission    of    the    Yale    University    Press.     New    Haven. 

2  Problems  of   Religion.      Durant   Drake.      Copyrighted    19 16.      Used  by 

permission  of  the   Houghton   Mifflin   Co.      Boston, 


152  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of  To-day 

"  O  Christ,  if  it  be  possible  for  You  to  dwell  in  my  soul,  do 
Thou  enter."  Lastly  and  supremely  important,  we  must  be 
willing  to  follow  His  guidance.  If  you  reject  every  ad- 
vance Christ  makes,  how  can  you  expect  a  friendship  to  de- 
velop? Have  you  refused  to  face  the  mission  appeal,  do 
you  cling  to  some  favorite  sin,  do  you  refuse  openings  for 
unselfish  service,  have  you  stifled  the  voice  of  conscience 
within  you,  do  you  trump  up  excuses  when  duty  calls? 
Then  it  ought  not  to  seem  strange  that  friendship  v/ith 
Christ  is  unknown  to  you.  If  you  are  willing  to  follow  the 
promptings  of  the  still  small  voice  within  you,  every  step 
forward  will  find  you  closer  to  Him. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  a  few  tests  a  man  may  apply 
to  his  life  by  which  he  may  know  that  he  is  in  friendship 
with  Christ. 

First,  there  is  the  test  of  life.  Do  you  cheat  in  examina- 
tions, do  you  take  books  or  magazines  from  the  library  and 
not  return  them,  do  you  crowd  on  a  street  car  without  pay- 
ing your  fare,  did  you  keep  your  football  jersey  when  you 
promised  to  turn  in  all  your  equipment  at  the  end  of  the 
season,  do  you  use  the  stamps  of  the  firm  for  your  own 
private  correspondence,  do  you  take  towels  from  hotels  and 
keep  them  for  your  own  use,  do  you  intentionally  "  beat  the 
gun  "  at  the  start  of  a  track  race,  would  you  claim  exemp- 
tion from  military  service  on  the  ground  of  dependent  parents 
when  your  father  and  mother  were  financially  independent 
and  you  did  not  contribute  anything  to  their  support,  do 
you  lie,  do  you  accept  graft,  do  you  give  men  short  weight, 
do  you  "skip  your  rent"?  Then,  no  matter  how  emotion- 
ally stirred  you  may  become,  or  how  many  churches  you  may 
belong  to,  Jesus  dwells  not  in  your  life  neither  are  you  a 
friend  of  Him.  But  from  those  who  honestly  try  to  live 
the  Christlike  life,  Jesus  is  not  far  distant. 

Secondly,  friendship  with  Christ  makes  service  a  pleasure. 
Religion  ceases  to  be  a  round  of  burdensome,  calculated 
duties,  but  becomes  spontaneous  service,  prompted  by  love. 
A  man  was  heard  to  remark  that  if  he  had  known  before 
marriage  all  the  trouble,  sickness,  and  pecuniary  burdens  that 
married  life  involved,  he  would  never  have  married.  An- 
other man.  who  has  borne  greater  cares  and  responsibilities, 
remarked  that   if   he  had   known  before  what   to   expect,   he 


The  Divinity  of  Jesus  153 

would  have  been  married  as  quickly.  What  was  the  difference 
between  the  men?  One  loved  his  wife,  the  other  did  not. 
To  the  first  one,  married  life  was  a  burdensome  duty.  To  the 
other,  it  was  an  opportunity  for  joyful  service  for  those  he 
loved.  The  soldiers  in  the  A.  E.  F.  did  not  have  to  be  driven 
into  battle  or  chained  to  machine  guns.  Battle  was  a  su- 
preme opportunity  to  fight  or  die  for  a  cause  and  country  they 
loved. 

Similarly,  when  we  enter  into  friendship  with  Christ,  a 
song  springs  up  in  our  hearts,  and  service  in  His  name  be- 
comes a  real  joy.  The  element  of  self-sacrifice  disappears 
from  our  minds. 

Last  of  all,  friendship  with  Christ  produces  in  us  a  love 
of  human  beings  as  human  beings.  It  matters  not  whether 
they  are  Baptist  or  Methodist,  Catholic  or  Jew,  Negro  or 
White,  Chinese  or  Hindoo,  French  or  German,  servant  or 
king,  if  they  are  human,  we  love  them.  \i  we  have  fellow- 
ship with  Christ,  we  do  not  serve  others  because  it  is  our 
duty,  or  in  order  to  talk  religion  to  them  afterward.  We 
serve  them  because  we  love  them. 


Study  XIV.  Seventh  Day 


(( 


What  Think  Ye  of  Christ?  "     The  Divinity  of 

Jesus 

"  And  as  he  passed  by,  he  saw  Levi  the  son  of  Alphaeus 
sitting  at  the  place  of  toll,  and  he  saith  unto  him,  Follow 
me." 

Jesus  did  not  merely  formulate  the  principles  of  the  King- 
dom of  God  and  endeavor,  as  a  salesman,  to  interest  men 
in  them.  He  placed  the  principles  before  men,  and  then  com- 
manded men  to  follow  Him  in  living  by  them.  He  did  not 
merely  submit  plans  for  consideration  but  He  drew  plans 
and  commanded  men  to  build.  He  astonished  the  multitudes, 
for  He  taught  as  one  having  authority.  He  antagonized  the 
priests  by  driving  the  money  brokers  from  the  temple  and 
wspeaking  as  if  endowed  with  the  authority  of  a  divine  com- 
mission. 


154  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

"Who  is  this  man?"  the  priests  ask.  "What  right  has  he 
to  assume  charge  of  the  temple?  Is  this  authority  mere  as- 
sumption or  do  the  man  and  his  message  justify  it?"  Is  this 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  a  teacher  only,  or  has  he  the  right  to 
command  the  full  allegiance  of  our  lives  even  to-day?  It  is 
this  questfon  we  wish  to  discuss  at  this  time. 

Let  us  consider  for  a  moment  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  One 
is  impressed  by  the  fact  that  they  are  universal  in  scope. 
Jesus  is  perhaps  the  only  man  who  fully  realized  that  man- 
kind, regardless  of  race  or  environment,  was  and  always 
would  be  fundamentally  the  same.  His  teachings  then  are 
not  local  or  racial  but  are  world-wide  and  eternal  in  that 
they  meet  the  fundamental  needs  of  all  men.  Yet  Jesus  came 
of  a  most  intensely  clannish  and  exclusive  people. 

A  second  noticeable  feature  is  the  completeness  of  the  teach- 
ings of  Jesus.  You  find  summarized  in  His  words  a  com- 
plete program  of  life,  embracing  the  best  in  all  other  ethical 
systems.  We  find  in  His  teachings  answers  to  the  funda- 
mental questions.  Why  are  we  here.  Whither  are  we  going, 
How  shall  we  accomplish  our  task?  Moreover,  this  con- 
ception of  God  and  life,  adequate  as  it  is  for  our  needs,  is 
set  forth  with  perfect  simplicity,  and  not  interwoven  with 
unnecessary  words  and  ideas  which  the  subsequent  growth  of 
knowledge  has  had  to  discard.  Indeed  we  should  add  as  our 
fourth  point  that  the  teachings  of  Jesus  are  remarkable  for 
what  they  do  not  contain. i  It  was  as  if  a  font  of  type  was 
spread  on  a  table  and  a  master  printer  picked  out  the  good 
type,  leaving  the  imperfect  to  be  melted  anew.  As  John 
Douglas  Adam  put  it :  "  This  is  what  students  of  com- 
parative religion  as  w.ell  as  simple  disciples  of  Christ  dis- 
cover in  our  day — 'that  Christ  gathers  the  broken,  scattered 
revelations  of  God  into  a  focused  unity  in  himself.  It  is  not 
that  other  religions  are  wholly  false,  it  is  simply  that  Christ 
makes  a  full-orbed,  all-inclusive  revelation  of  God,  sufficient 
for  human  need.  As  a  matter  of  historical  fact,  every  other 
revelation  of  God  since  has  either  been  an  echo,  a  dilution, 
or  a  perversion  of  that  which  is  in  Christ."  2     In  nearly  all 

1  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  H.  C.  King.  The  Macmillan  Company.  New 
York. 

2  Under  the  Highest  Leadership.  J.  D.  Adam.  Copyrighted  191 7. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  Association   Press.     New  York, 


The  Divinity  of  Jesus  155 

lines  of  knowledge  we  have  left  the  first  century  far  behind 
but  the  ideals  of  this  obscure  Carpenter  of  Nazareth  are  still 
the  distant  goal  toward  which  humanity  is  striving. 

Another  noticeable  characteristic  is  the  fact  that  the  teach- 
ings of  Jesus  are  free  from  the  current  superstitions  of  His 
time.  With  the  possible  exception  of  belief  in  demoniac  pos- 
session, we  find  that  Jesus  brushed  aside  current  superstitions, 
useless  traditions,  and  false  customs,  giving  them  no  place 
in  His  teachings  or  life.  As  Horace  Bushnell  expressed  it; 
"  He  lived  in  a  superstitious  age  and  among  a  superstitious 
people.  He  was  a  person  of  low  education,  and  nothing,  as 
we  know,  clings  to  the  uneducated  mind  with  the  tenacity  of 
a  superstition.  Lord  Bacon,  for  example,  a  man  certainly  of 
the  very  highest  intellectual  training,  was  yet  harmed  by 
superstitions  too  childish  to  be  named  with  respect,  and  which 
clung  to  him  despite  of  all  his  philosophy,  even  to  his  death. 
But  Christ,  with  no  learned  culture  at  all,  comes  forth  out 
of  Galilee,  as  perfectly  clean  of  all  the  superstitions  of  his 
time,  as  if  he  had  been  a  disciple,  from  his  childhood,  of 
Hume  or  Strauss.  '  You  children  of  superstition  think,'  he 
says,  '  that  those  Galileans,  whose  blood  Pilate  mingled  with 
their  sacrifices,  and  those  eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  in 
Siloam  fell,  must  have  been  monsters,  to  suffer  such  things. 
I  tell  you,  nay;  but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish.'  To  another  company  he  says  — '  You  imagine,  in 
your  Pharisaic  and  legal  morality,  that  the  Sabbath  of  Moses 
stands  in  the  letter;  but  I  tell  you  that  the  Sabbath  is  made 
for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath ;  little  honor,  there- 
fore, do  you  pay  to  God,  when  you  teach  that  it  is  not  lawful 
to  do  good  on  this  day.  Your  washings  are  a  great  point, 
you  tithe  herbs  and  seeds  with  a  sanctimonious  fidelity,  would 
it  not  be  as  well  for  you  teachers  of  the  law,  to  have  some 
respect  to  the  weightier  matters  of  justice,  faith,  and  be- 
nevolence?' Thus,  while  Socrates,  one  of  the  greatest  and 
purest  of  human  souls,  a  man  who  has  attained  to  many 
worthy  conceptions  of  God,  hidden  from  his  idolatrous  coun- 
trymen, is  constrained  to  sacrifice  a  cock  to  Esculapius,  the 
uneducated  Jesus  lives  and  dies  superior  to  every  supersti- 
tion of  his  time ;  believing  nothing  because  it  is  believed, 
respecting  nothing  because  it  is  sanctified  by  custom  and  by 


156  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

human  observance.  Even  in  the  closing  scene  of  his  life,  we 
see  his  learned  and  priestly  associates  refusing  to  go  into 
the  judgment-hall  of  Caiaphas,  lest  they  should  be  cere- 
monially defiled  and  disqualified  for  the  feast;  though  de- 
tained by  no  scruple  at  all  as  regards  the  instigation  of  a 
murder !  While  he,  on  the  other  hand,  pitying  their  delu- 
sions, prays  for  them  from  his  cross  — '  Father,  forgive  them, 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do.'  "  1 

Again,  Jesus  was  warped  by  no  desire  to  gain  assent.  He 
spoke  the  truth  uncompromisingly.  In  speaking  of  this  trait 
Horace  Bushnell  said :  "...  he  never  reveals  the  infirmity 
so  commonly  shown  by  human  teachers,  when  they  veer  a 
little  from  their  point,  or  turn  their  doctrine  off  by  shades 
of  variation,  to  catch  the  assent  of  multitudes.  He  never 
'Conforms  to  an  expectation,  even  of  his  friends.  When  they 
look  to  find  a  great  prophet  in  him,  he  offers  nothing  in 
the  modes  of  the  prophets.  When  they  ask  for  places  of 
distinction  in  his  kingdom,  he  rebukes  their  folly,  and  tells 
them  he  has  nothing  to  give,  but  a  share  in  his  reproaches 
and  his  poverty.  When  they  look  to  see  him  take  the  sword 
as  the  Great  Messiah  of  their  nation,  calling  the  people  to 
his  standard,  he  tells  them  he  is  no  warrior  and  no  king, 
but  only  a  messenger  of  love  to  lost  men ;  one  that  has 
come  to  minister  and  die,  but  not  to  set  up  or  restore  the 
kingdom.  Every  expectation  that  rises  up  to  greet  him, 
is  repulsed ;  and  yet,  so  great  is  the  power  of  his  manner, 
that  multitudes  are  held  fast,  and  cannot  yield  their  con- 
fidence. Enveloped  as  he  is  in  the  darkest  mystery,  they  trust 
him  still ;  going  after  him,  hanging  on  his  words,  as  if  de- 
tained by  some  charmed  influence,  which  they  cannot  shake 
off  or  resist.  Never  was  there  a  teacher  that  so  uniformly 
baffled  every  expectation  of  his  followers,  never  one  that 
was  followed  so  persistently."  ^ 

Finally,  think  of  the  content  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus. 
His  teachings  about  God,  about  man,  about  love,  about  inward 
righteousness,  about  friendship  with  the  Father  are,  we  find, 

1  The  Character  of  Jesus.  H.  Bushnell.  Copyrighted  1886.  Used 
by  permission   of  the   Charles   Scribner's   Sons.     New  York. 


The  Divinity  of  Jesus  157 

truths  not  primarily  emphasized  in  the  non-Christian  re- 
Hgions. 

Jesus,  however,  was  not  a  mere  collector  of  religious  max- 
ims;  it  was  the  emphasis  and  importance  which  He  placed 
upon  the  great  essentials  of  life  and  truth  which  distinguish 
Him  as  the  supreme  teacher  of  the  ages. 

Durant  Drake  says :  "  His  insight  into  human  nature,  his 
direct,  straightforward  perception  of  moral  truths,  together 
with  his  natural  talent  for  expression,  gave  him  a  felicity  of 
utterance  which  has  never  been  surpassed.  Capable  upon 
occasion  of  subtle  argumentation,  overflowing  now  and  then 
into  genial  humor,  biting  irony,  or  flash  of  wit,  but  in  gen- 
eral homely  in  his  language,  and  free  from  the  useless  verbi- 
age of  the  schools,  keen  and  quick  at  epigram  and  paradox, 
with  a  gift  at  simile  and  parable,  his  sayings  remain  to-day 
among  the  most  memorable  —  many  of  us  would  say  the  most 
memorable  —  of  the  spiritual  teachings  of  all  times.  Free 
from  all  servitude  to  the  orthodoxy  of  his  day,  following  al- 
ways his  own  vision,  and  calling  to  his  disciples,  *  Why  of 
yourselves  judge  ye  not  what  is  right? 'his  words  must 
have  been  of  rare  stimulating  power.  He  uttered  few  truths, 
if  any,  that  had  not  been  expressed  before ;  but  in  the  clarity, 
terseness,  and  limpid  simplicity  of  his  phrasing,  rid  as  it  is 
of  so  much  that  repels  or  mars  the  vision  in  the  utterances 
of  earlier  and  later  teachers,  we  have  reason  enough  to  un- 
derstand how  his  auditors  *  wondered  at  the  words  of  grace 
which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.'  "  ^ 

As  a  teacher  of  moral  and  spiritual  truth,  both  as  to  form 
and  content,  Jesus  stands  unique  in  history. 

1  Problems  of  Religion.  Durant  Drake.  Copyrighted  19 16.  Used 
by  permission  of  the  Houghton   Mifflin  Company.     Boston. 


STUDY  XV,    FIRST  DAY 

The  Divinity  of  Jesus  (concluded) 

Having  discussed  Jesus  as  a  teacher,  let  us  examine  the 
cliaracter  of  Jesus  to-day  as  we  would  that  of  an}'  other 
man. 

The  first  noticeable  characteristic  is  the  perfect  balance  of 
His  character.  If  we  will  think  a  minute,  we  shall  realize 
that  Jesus  possessed  in  a  supreme  degree  the  best  traits  of  all 
other  men.  On  the  other  hand,  He  was  without  their  weak- 
nesses. H  we  were  asked  to  name  the  weak  points  of  the 
character  of  Jesus  in  contrast  with  His  strong  points,  we 
should  be  at  a  loss  what  to  mention,  for  the  traits  of  His 
many-sided  character  seemed  to  be  in  a  supreme  degree 
evenly  distributed. ^ 

Neither  is  this  perfectly  balanced  character  an  imaginary 
picture  drawn  by  the  evangelists.  Some  such  a  figure  as  Je- 
sus must  have  been  historical,  for  as  Mr.  Parker  expressed 
this  thought :  "  Suppose  that  Plato  and  Newton  never  lived. 
But  who  did  their  wonders,  and  who  thought  their  thought? 
It  takes  a  Newton  to  forge  a  Newton.  What  man  could  have 
fabricated  a  Jesus?  None  but  a  Jesus."  ^  Rousseau  said  that 
the  inventor  of  such  a  character  would  be  far  more  as- 
tounding than  his  hero.i  Miraculous  stories  could  easily  be 
the  creation  of  the  imagination  but  the  superb  abstract  traits 
of  character  portrayed  in  the  life  of  Jesus  are  facts  beyond 
the  imagination  and  could  be  understood  and  described  only 
when  expressed  in  the  acts  of  everyday  life.  H  the  evan- 
gelists had  been  drawing  on  their  imaginations  for  the  char- 
acter of  our  Lord,  inconsistencies  would  have  been  recorded 

1  Christ  and  the  Students.  John  R.  Mott.  Record  of  Christian 
Work.      September,    1908.      Used  by  permission. 

2  The  Character  of  Jesus.  H.  Bushnell.  Copyrighted  1886.  Used 
by  permission  of  the  Charles   Scribner's  Sons.     New  York. 

158 


The  Divinity  of  Jesus  159 

which  would  have  marred  the  picture,  and  cast  reasonable 
doubt  upon  the  reality  of  such  a  life.  This,  as  we  shall  see 
in  the  next  study,  actually  occurred  with  regard  to  the  mir- 
acles. First,  then,  we  are  impressed  by  the  perfect  balance 
of  the  character  of  Jesus. 

Another  remarkable  characteristic  is  that  Jesus  disavowed 
repentance  and  lived  up  to  this  denial  of  sin.  Never  do  we 
hear  a  petition  for  forgiveness  pass  His  lips  and  more  re- 
markable still  we  cannot  see  in  His  life  or  words  anything 
inconsistent  with  this  avowal  of  sinlessness.  Even  more 
remarkable  is  the  fact  that  this  profession  and  all  others,  in- 
cluding that  of  His  unique  relationship  with  God,  are  at- 
tested by  His  own  inner  consciousness.  Suppose  we  should 
pretend  to  be  sinless  or,  in  a  special  sense,  divine.  Our  lives 
and  consciences  would  soon  belie  us  and  we  should  break 
down  under  such  false  pretensions.  But  the  inner  and  outer 
life  of  Jesus  support  His  assumption  even  to  the  end.^  "  Hu- 
man piety,"  said  Horace  Bushnell,  "  begins  with  repentance. 
It  is  the  effort  of  a  being,  implicated  in  wrong  and  writhing 
under  the  stings  of  guilt,  to  come  unto  God.  The  most 
righteous,  or  even  self-righteous  men,  blend  expressions  of 
sorrow  and  vows  of  new  obedience  with  their  exercises.  But 
Christ,  in  the  character  given  him,  never  acknowledges  sin. 
It  is  the  grand  peculiarity  of  his  piety  that  he  never  regrets 
anything  that  he  has  done  or  been ;  expresses,  nowhere,  a 
single  feeling  of  compunction,  or  the  least  sense  of  un- 
worthiness.  On  the  contrary,  he  boldly  challenges  his  ac- 
cusers, in  the  question  —  Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of  sin? 
and  even  declares,  at  the  close  of  his  life,  in  a  solemn  ap- 
peal to  God,  that  he  has  given  to  men,  unsullied,  the  glory 
divine  that  was  deposited  in  him.  .  .  .  And  no  mere  human 
creature,  it  is  certain,  could  hold  such  a  religious  attitude, 
without  shortly  displaying  faults  that  would  cover  him  with 
derision,  or  excesses  and  delinquencies  that  would  even  disy 
gust  his  friends.  Piety  without  one  dash  of  repentance,  one 
ingenuous  confession  of  wrong,  one  tear,  one  look  of  con- 
trition, one  request  to  heaven  for  pardon  —  let  any  one  of 
mankind  try  this  kind  of  piety,  and  see  how  long  it  will   be 

1  The    Deity    of    Jesus.     R.    E.    Speer.     The    F.    H.    Revell    Co.     New 
York. 


l6o  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

ere  his  righteousness  will  prove  itself  to  be  the  most  im- 
pudent conceit !  how  long  before  his  passions  sobered  by  no 
contrition,  his  pride  kept  down  by  no  repentance,  will  tempt 
him  into  absurdities  that  will  turn  his  pretenses  to  mockery! 
No  sooner  does  any  one  of  us  begin  to  be  self-righteous,  than 
he  begins  to  fall  into  outward  sins  that  shame  his  conceit. 
But,  in  the  case  of  Jesus,  no  such  disaster  follows.  Begin- 
ning with  an  impenitent  or  unrepentant  piety,  he  holds  it  to 
the  end,  and  brings  no  visible  stain  upon  it."  ^ 

Another  remarkable  characteristic  of  Jesus  was  His  aston- 
ishing assumptions.  He  professed  to  have  established  the 
Kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  He  declared  Himself  to  be  the 
spokesman  of  God,  calling  on  men  to  follow  Him,  "  laying 
his  hand  upon  all  the  dearest  and  most  intimate  affections 
of  life,  and  demanding  a  precedent  love — 'he  that  loveth 
father  or  mother  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me.'  .  .  . 
[It  was]  as  if  to  follow  him  and  be  worthy  of  him  was  to 
be  the  conclusive  or  chief  excellence  of  mankind !  "  i  He  died 
in  the  belief  that  His  Kingdom  would  ultimately  triumph  and 
that  He  had  overcome  the  world. 

In  studying  the  character  of  Jesus  we  should  realize  that 
His  teachings  are  a  reflection  of  His  character,  otherwise 
the  abstract  principles  He  sought  to  teach  would  have  made 
no  impression  upon  and  would  have  been  unintelligible  to 
His  followers.  E.  A,  Cook  expressed  this  thought  when  he 
said :  "  Abstract  principles  are  always  in  danger  of  being 
lost  in  the  forms  in  which  they  are  stated  or  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  have  not  learned  to  grasp  or  to  value  principles 
in  abstract  form.  But  a  definite,  divine,  heroic  figure,  with  a 
name  and  history  easily  grasped,  whose  life  illustrates  such 
abstract  principles  in  ways  readily  understood  by  the  simplest 
and  most  unlearned,  is  of  inestimable  value  in  the  main- 
tenance of  such  principles  as  living  forces  among  men."  2 

Then,  too,  argue  as  we  will,  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  as  we 
discussed  it  in  Study  XIV  is  a  fact  which  cannot  be  ex- 
plained away. 

1  The  Character  of  Jesus.  H.  Eushnell.  Copyrighted  1886.  Used 
by  permission   of  the  Charles   Scribner's   Sons.      New   York. 

2  Christian  Faith  for  Men  of  To-Day.  E.  A.  Cook.  Copyrighted 
1913.     Used  by  permission  of  the  University  of  Chicago  Press.     Chicago. 


The  Divinity  of  Jesus  l6l 

Last  of  all,  think  of  the  influence  of  Jesus  in  the  lives  of 
men  to-day.  Not  only  Jerry  McCauley  and  Samuel  Hadley, 
but  David  Livingstone  and  Robert  Morrison,  and  thousands 
of  others  have  testified  that  the  power  of  Jesus,  the  Risen 
Christ,  has  redeemed  them  from  lives  of  sin  and  selfishness 
and  is  the  dynamic  which  moves  them  forward  in  paths  of 
love  and  service.  '*  Where  in  all  human  experience,"  says 
John  Douglas  Adam,  "  is  there  any  such  escape  from  moral 
failure  into  triumphant  moral  achievement  as  in  the  lives  of 
those  who  bear  witness  to  having  accepted  forgiveness  from 
Christ?  There  is  no  story  of  moral  restoration,  of  renewed 
enthusiasm,  of  recovered  joy,  of  fresh  conscious  oneness 
with  the  will  of  God,  and  of  humble  contrition,  in  the  whole 
of  human  literature  which  compares  with  the  testimony  of  a 
believing  Christian."  ^ 

There  is  only  one  conclusion  that  we  can  reasonably  reach 
in  reflecting  upon  these  facts.  It  is,  that  Jesus  was  not 
just  a  mere  man.  [For]  "  if  Jesus  Christ  was  only  a  man," 
said  Robert  E.  Speer,  "  if  His  character  was  merely  human, 
then  Bowdoin  College,  Yale.  Bryn  Mawr  and  Vassar  ought 
to  be  turning  out  better  men  and  women  than  He  was.  If 
Jesus  Christ  was  only  a  man,  it  is  strange  that  the  nineteenth 
century  cannot  produce  a  better  one.  He  was  born  in  an 
obscure  and  contemptible  province.  He  grew  up  in  no  cul- 
tured and  refined  community.  He  was  a  child  of  a  poor 
peasant's  home,  of  a  lowly  menial  race.  Yet  He  rises  sheer 
above  all  humanity,  the  one  commanding  moral  character  of 
mankind.  Now,  if  Jesus  was  all  that  just  as  a  mere  man, 
the  world  should  long  ago  have  advanced  beyond  Him."  2 

The  writer  believes,  then,  that  Jesus  was,  in  a  special  and 
supreme  sense,  divine.  When  we  use  the  word  "  divine  "  re- 
garding Jesus,  it  has  for  us  the  same  meaning  as  when  we 
say  that  we  believe  there  is  a  germ  of  the  divine  latent  in 
all  humanity.  We  believe  that  in  us  the  instinctive  reaching- 
out  after  God,  the  feeling  of  dependence  upon  the  Infinite, 
the  natural  turning  to  prayer  and  worship,  the  moral   sense 

1  Under  the  Highest  Leadership.  J.  D.  Adam.  Copyrighted  1917. 
Used  by   permission   of  the   Association   Press.     New   York. 

2  The  Deity  of  Jesu«.  R.  E.  Speer.  Used  by  permission  of  the  F, 
H.  Revell  Company.     New  York. 


1 62  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

which  decides  between  right  and  wrong,  all  arise  from  a 
divine  spark  which  God  has  implanted  within.  The  writer 
believes,  furthermore,  that  every  human  being  has  this  divine 
spark  in  him,  and  that  in  essence  it  is  the  same  as  the  di- 
vine in  Jesus.  The  difference  between  Him  and  us  is  a  dif- 
ference in  degree. 

We  stifle  the  voice,  we  refuse  to  obey  its  promptings,  and 
hence  our  hearts  are  faint  and  our  grasp  of  the  Infinite  fee- 
ble. Jesus,  however,  followed  absolutely  the  voice  of  God 
within  Him.  Every  inner  prompting  of  the  Father  He 
obeyed  completely.  Day  by  day,  then,  God  revealed  Him- 
self more  and  more  to  Jesus  until  the  union  between  them 
was  perfect  and  God  completely  expressed  Himself  in  hu- 
man life  through  the  personality  of  His  Son.  In  this  unique 
sense,  Jesus  was  the  beloved  Son  of  God  in  whom  the  Fa- 
ther was  well  pleased.  He,  as  no  man,  before  or  since,  as 
far  as  we  know,  reached  those  heights  of  obedience  to  the 
will  of  God  so  that  He  could  say,  in  the  language  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel,  "  My  Father  worketh  even  until  now,  and  I 
work,"  and  "  he  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father." 
The  writer  does  not  believe  in  the  preexistence  of  Jesus  as  a 
separate  person  in  the  Godhead  who  came  into  this  world  as 
a  divine  machine  functioning  in  human  life.  He  does  be- 
lieve He  was  a  man  in  whom  God  could  and  did  completely 
reveal  Himself,  and  through  whom  He  absolutely  expressed 
Himself  to  the  world. 

Some  may  object  to  the  conclusion  that  Jesus  was  the  Son 
of  God  on  the  grounds  that  we  are  assuming  the  existence  of 
God.  If  then  there  be  no  God,  Jesus  Himself  should  be  the 
object  of  our  worship,  for  we  cannot  conceive  of  God  in 
terms  higher  than  those  exemplified  in  the  life  and  teachings 
of  Jesus.  God,  to  us,  is  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Moreover,  we  must  admit  that  the  basis  of  the  life  of  Jesus 
was  His  absolute  conviction  of  the  existence  of  God  and  the 
further  conviction  of  His  unique  relationship  with  the  Father. 
"  We  are  weak,  dragged  down  by  animal  instincts  and  im- 
pulses," said  the  author  of  "  The  Religion  of  Christ  in  the 
Twentieth  Century;"  "helpless  often,  before  the  sins  which 
do  so  easily  beset  us:  the  religious  consciousness  of  Jesus 
kept  him,  not  only  pure  in  deed,  but  pure  in  heart.  .  .  .  We 


The  Divinity  of  Jesus  163 

are  selfish,  lovers  of  ease,  concerned  for  personal  comfort: 
the  religious  consciousness  of  Jesus  held  him  tranquil  when 
he  knew  not  where  to  lay  his  head.  .  .  .  We  are  troubled 
about  many  things,  eager  for  possessions  :  the  religious  con- 
sciousness of  Jesus  kept  him  free  from  the  clutch  of  ma- 
terial things,  held  him  peacefully  assured  that  even  food  and 
raiment  are  but  things  to  be  added  unto  the  true  life.  .  .  . 
We  are  despondent,  morose,  afraid  to  be  glad :  the  religious 
consciousness  of  Jesus  led  him  to  rejoice  in  the  beauty  of 
the  world,  made  him  no  less  welcome  at  the  feast  than  in 
the  house  of  mourning.  We  are  hampered  at  every  turn  by 
conventions,  concerned  for  the  outside  of  the  platter :  the 
religious  consciousness  of  Jesus  held  ever  clearly  before  him 
the  true  values  of  life.  .  .  .  We  are  dull  of  sight,  given  to 
miserable  misunderstandings :  the  religious  consciousness  of 
Jesus  gave  him  a  quick  and  sure  insight  into  the  hearts  of 
men  and  women,  so  that  the  common  people  heard  him  gladly 
and  all  the  city  was  gathered  together  at  his  door.  We  are 
bitter,  unforgiving,  ungenerous :  the  religious  consciousness 
of  Jesus  enabled  him  to  forgive  all  things,  because  '  they 
know  not  what  they  do.'  W^e  are  cowardly,  afraid  of  suffering, 
physical  and  mental,  afraid,  continually,  of  what  may  hap- 
pen :  the  religious  consciousness  of  Jesus  rendered  him  ab- 
solutely fearless,  capable  of  defying  without  hesitation  a  re- 
ligious conservatism  bitterly  intolerant  and  vindictive,  car- 
ried him  from  one  danger  to  another  with  a  courage  quiet, 
steady,  magnificent.  We  are  cold,  indifferent,  unsympathetic : 
the  religious  consciousness  of  Jesus  filled  him  with  a  com- 
passion so  profound,  so  tender,  so  mighty,  that  the  very 
sound  of  his  voice,  and  touch  of  his  hand,  brought  healing  to 
the  sick  in  body  and  in  mind.  ...  In  brief,  the  religious  con- 
sciousness of  Jesus  made  his  life,  so  full  of  privation,  dis- 
couragement, and  suffering,  the  life  that,  whatever  may  be 
our  creed,  we  all  know  in  our  hearts  was  the  life  preeminently 
worth  living."  ^  And  this  "  religious  consciousness  "  of  Jesus 
was  based  upon  the  inward  surety  that  He  was  doing  the  will 
of  God,  the  Father. 

"  Again  and  again  in  the  history  of  mankind  men  of  God 

1  The    Religion    of    Christ    in    the    Twentieth    Centurj'.     Copyrighted. 
Used  by  permission  of  the  G.   P.   Putnam's   Sons.      New   York. 


164  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

have  come  forward  in  the  sure  consciousness  of  possessing 
a  divine  message,  and  of  being  compelled,  w^hether  they  will 
or  not,  to  deliver  it.  But  the  message  has  always  happened 
to  be  imperfect;  in  this  spot  or  that,  defective;  bound  up 
with  political  or  particularistic  elements ;  designed  to  meet 
the  circumstances  of  the  moment ;  and  very  often  the  prophet 
did  not  stand  the  test  of  being  himself  an  example  of  his 
message.  But  in  this  case  the  message  brought  was  of  the 
profoundest  and  most  comprehensive  character;  it  went  to 
the  very  root  of  mankind  and.  although  set  in  the  framework 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  it  addressed  itself  to  the  whole  of 
humanity  —  the  message  from  God  the  Father.  Defective 
it  is  not,  and  its  real  kernel  may  be  readily  freed  from  the 
inevitable  husk  of  contemporary  form.  Antiquated  it  is  not, 
and  in  life  and  strength  it  still  triumphs  to-day  over  all  the 
past.  He  who  delivered  it  has  as  yet  yielded  his  place  to  no 
man,  and  to  human  life  he  still  to-day  gives  a  meaning  and 
an  aim  —  he  the  Son  of  God.'"^ 

"  And  Jesus  went  out,  and  his  disciples,  into  the  towns  of 
Csesarea  Philippi :  and  by  the  way  he  asked  his  disciples,  say- 
ing unto  them,  Whom  do  men  say  that  I  am?  And  they  an- 
swered, John  the  Baptist :  but  some  say,  Elias :  and  others. 
One  of  the  prophets.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  But  whom 
say  ye  that  I  am?  And  Peter  answereth  and  saith  unto 
him.  Thou  art  the  Christ." 

"  And  as  he  passed  by,  he  saw  Levi  the  son  of  Alphseus 
sitting  at  the  place  of  toll,  and  he  saith  unto  him,  Follow 
me."  To-day  He  is  saying  to  you  and  to  me  in  the  loving, 
authoritative  voice  of  the  chosen  one  of  God,  "  Follow  me." 

"  If  Jesus  Christ  is  a  man. 
And  only  a  man,  I  say 
That  of  all  mankind  I  cleave  to  him, 
And  to  him  I  cleave  alway. 

"If  Jesus  Christ  is  a  God, 
And  the  only  God,  I  swear 
I  will  follow  him  through  heaven  and  hell, 
The  earth,  the  sea,  and  the  air." 

Richard  Watson  Gilder. 

1  What  Is  Christianity?  A.  Harnack.  Copyrighted  1901.  Used  by 
permission  of  the  G.   P.   Putnam's  Sons.     New  York. 


The    Miracles  1 65 

Study  XV.  Second  Day 
The  Miracles 

Let  us  state  in  the  beginning  of  this  discussion  of  the  mira- 
cles, that  we  are  not  arguing  a  question  of  possibility  but  of 
probability.  The  question  is  not,  Could  the  miracles  have 
happened?  but,  Did  they  happen?  Almost  anything  can  hap- 
pen but  not  everything  does  happen.  Belief  in  the  literal 
interpretation  of  the'  miracles  is  not  a  question  of  faith  in 
the  power  of  God  but  a  question  of  historical  evidence. 

The  writer  believes,  then,  that  many  of  the  miracles  ac- 
tually occurred,  and  that  they  can  be  easily  explained  on  the 
basis  of  the  psychic  effect  of  a  strong  mind  and  personality 
upon  a  weaker  one.  The  men  of  Jesus'  day  believed  that 
the  universe  was  peopled  with  spirits.  Becoming  melancholy, 
a  man  would  imagine  that  an  evil  spirit  was  haunting  him, 
until  he  became  mentally  unbalanced. 

Other  cases  of  demoniac  possession,  the  writer  believes, 
were  merely  cases  of  insanity,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree. 
We  see  to-day  evidence  of  the  remarkable  effects  of  belief  and 
will  upon  the  ailments  of  the  body.  Surely  the  influence  of 
Jesus  was  no  less  potent.  The  writer  does  not  believe,  how- 
ever, that  Jesus  actually  walked  on  the  water,  that  five  thou- 
sand people  were  physically  fed  with  only  five  loaves  and 
two  small  fishes,  that  the  tempest  was  quieted  by  a  word ; 
but  he  does  believe  that  the  lame  walked,  the  deaf  heard,  in 
some  cases  the  blind  saw,  and  "  demons  "  were  cast  out,  just  as 
such  cures  are  effected  by  natural  psychological  causes  to-day. 
We  shall  notice  that  in  many  cases,  Jesus  first  stimulated  the 
faith  of  the  person  in  question,  and  that  in  other  cases,  people 
were  healed  by  touching  His  garment  without  any  volition  on 
the  part  of  Jesus  whatever.  See  Mark  3 :  10,  5 :  28,  6 :  56, 
7 :  Z3^  8 :  23.  Mark  distinctly  says,  that  in  Nazareth  "  Jesus 
could  there  do  no  mighty  work  ..." 

We  notice  also  that  Jesus  did  not  attach  particular  im- 
portance to  His  miracles.  He  refused  to  give  the  Pharisees 
a  sign,  showing  that  the  recognition  of  His  person  and  mis- 
sion rested  on  higher  grounds.     The  question  of  the  Pharisees 


1 66  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

also  shows  that  it  is  evident  that  all  the  miracles  were  not 
actually  performed  as  many  suppose,  for  the  Pharisees  would 
not  have  made  the  request  if  such  had  been  the  case. 

Burkitt  adds,  "  Nay  more,  occurrences  which  are  certainly 
narrated  as  *  miracles  '  by  the  Evangelist  did  not  greatly  im- 
press even  the  disciples  themselves.  That  on  at  least  two 
occasions  Jesus  and  His  disciples  had  found  themselves  far 
away  in  the  open  country  in  the  presence  of  large  crowds 
without  means  of  feeding  them,  and  that  nevertheless,  when 
they  made  them  sit  down  as  for  a  meal,  there  was  more  than 
enough  and  to  spare,  is  attested  by  the  narrative  in  Mark 
8:  11-21,  a  narrative  which  it  is  impossible  not  to  regard  as 
derived  from  genuine  historical  reminiscence.  Yet  the  same 
passage  shews  us  that  the  apostles  had  not  been  influenced 
by  the  events  of  these  two  meals,  a  circumstance  which  would 
be  indeed  incredible  if  these  events  had  come  to  pass  in  the 
way  generally  supposed.  What  actually  happened  is  of  course 
quite  beyond  our  power  to  ascertain :  we  only  know  that  the 
same  document  that  tells  us  of  the  wonderful  meals  tells  us 
also  of  the  distress  of  the  apostles  when  shortly  afterwards 
they  found  they  were  running  short  of  provisions."  ^ 

The  only  conclusion  we  can  reach  is  that  expressed  by 
Dr.  Sanday:  "We  may  be  sure  that  if  the  miracles  of  the 
first  century  had  been  wrought  before  trained  spectators  of 
the  nineteenth,  the  version  of  them  would  be  quite  differ- 
ent." 2 

It  would  have  been  strange,  indeed,  if  miraculous  stories 
had  not  grown  up  around  such  a  life  as  that  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Here  was  the  most  commanding  and  lovable  personality,  we 
think,  the  world  has  ever  seen.  He  cast  out  "  demons  "  and 
appeared  alive  after  He  was  dead.  He  lived  at  a  time  when, 
as  Harnack  says,  "  people  felt  and  saw  that  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  wonders,  not  by  any  means  only  in  the  religious 
sphere."  ^  "  The  Messiah  would  of  course  work  miracles," 
said  one  writer  in  the  Biblical  World.     "  Jesus  healed  the  de- 

1  The  Gospel  History  and  Its  Transmission.  F.  C.  Burkitt.  Used 
by    permission    of   the    Charles    Scribner's    Sons.      New    York. 

2  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  James  Hastings.  T.  and  T.  Clark. 
The   Charles   Scribner's   Sons. 

3  What  Is  Christianity?  A.  Harnack.  The  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons. 
New  York. 


The    Miracles  167 

monized :  why  should  he  not  heal  nature?  The  distinction 
that  we  should  make  would  not  have  occurred  to  them.  So 
the  beautiful  story  of  the  stilling  of  the  tempest.  If  demons 
could  disturb  the  human  consciousness,  perhaps  they  could 
blow  the  waters  of  the  lake  into  billows.  And  the  authori- 
tative voice  that  could  say  to  the  legion  of  demons,  '  Be 
gone,'  could  say  to  the  winds,  '  Be  still.'  Perhaps  some  actual 
occurrence  produced  the  narrative.  Perhaps  in  some  storm 
the  strong  courage  and  faith  of  Jesus  calmed  the  fearful 
fishermen,  and  the  waves,  heightened  by  their  terror,  were 
less  dangerous  as  they  regained  their  poise.  And  so  the 
story  grew  that  he  had  stilled  the  tempest.  And  the  beauti- 
ful symbolic  significance  (perhaps,  after  all,  the  chief  value 
of  any  miracle  story)  may  have  helped  to  give  form  to  the 
calm.  Wherever  Jesus  went  he  must  have  carried  courage 
and  calm."  1  In  some  cases,  the  parables  of  Jesus,  the  writer 
believes,  have  been   recorded   as   actual   occurrences. 

The  conclusions  reached  in  a  study  of  the  miracles  are,  in 
almost  every  case,  purely  personal,  and  often  reflect  merely 
the  mental  temperament  of  the  investigator.  If  Jesus  were 
not  only  the  Messiah  but,  in  a  special  sense,  divine,  as  we  con- 
cluded in  the  preceding  study,  then,  of  course,  he  would  work 
miracles,  says  some  one.  If  such  a  belief  is  necessary  for 
you  in  order  to  have  a  satisfying  faith,  then  hold  to  the  belief 
in  the  literal  interpretation  of  the  miracles,  realizing,  however, 
that  such  a  belief  is  not  essential  to  the  acceptance  of  the  di- 
vinity of  Jesus  Christ.  Many  believe  in  the  miracles  only  be- 
cause Jesus  was  divine.  Th^y  do  not  believe  Jesus  was  divine 
because  of  the  miracles.  Take  the  question  of  the  virgin 
birth,  for  instance.  Jesus  revealed  God  to  us  by  His  char- 
acter and  His  teachings  and  not  by  His  physical  body.  If  He 
had  been  born  miraculously  of  a  virgin  and  had  then  com- 
mitted sin.  He  would  not  have  been  the  Son  of  God.  It 
makes  no  difference  as  to  the  origin  of  His  physical  body. 
It  is  the  origin  of  His  spiritual  life,  it  is  the  source  of  His 
insight  into  human  hearts,  it  is  the  spring  from  which  flowed 
the  depth  of  His  love  that  we  wish  to  know  about.  We 
reached  the  conclusion  in  the  last  study  that  Jesus  was  in  a 

1  The    Biblical    World.     The    University    of    Chicago    Press.     Used    by 

permission. 


i68  Jesus  and  the   Young  Man  of   To-day 

special  sense  divine,  yet  such  a  conclusion  was  reached  with- 
out discussing  any  of  the  miracles  except  the  resurrection. 
If,  however,  it  is  satisfying  for  you  to  believe  in  the  virgin 
birth,  and  the  literal  interpretation  of  the  other  miracles,  then 
believe  in  them,  realizing  their  subordinate  place. 


Study  XV.  Third  Day 
The  Church 

Lest  some  readers  of  this  course  be  misled  by  the  re- 
curring statements  that  church  membership,  worship,  ritual, 
and  creeds  are  the  husks  of  religion,  it  was  decided  to  devote 
the  thought  of  this  last  day  to  the  value  of  the  church  and 
its  service. 

The  church  is  the  organization  of  Christian  men  and 
women  for  the  development  of  Christian  character  and  the 
nurture  of  Christian  life.  It  is  the  gymnasium  of  the  soul, 
where  the  spiritual  muscles  are  developed  and  trained  for 
Christian  service.  In  its  worship,  we  find  opportunity  to 
express  our  inward  longings  after  God  and  to  cultivate  com- 
munion with  the  Father.  In  its  outreach  for  men,  we  find 
opportunity  to  develop  our  lives  in  unselfish  service.  Its 
exercises  prevent  moral  atrophy  and  spiritual  degeneration. 
Its  cross-crowned  spires  ever  point  us  to  Him  who  was  lifted 
up  that  all  men  might  be  drawn  unto  Him. 

The  church  is  indispensable  in  keeping  alive  our  spiritual 
life.  A  man  must  worship,  he  must  serve,  in  order  really  to 
live.  In  the  church,  he  is  constantly  stimulated  to  nobler 
service  and  the  ideals  represented  by  the  Cross  of  Christ  are 
kept  ever  before  him.  In  it,  a  man  receives  the  inspiration 
of  fellowship  with  others  of  similar  purpose  and  hopes.  In 
it,  and  through  it,  a  man  finds  many  opportunities  to  serve 
mankind.  By  identification  with  it,  a  man  publicly  commits 
himself  to  a  Christlike  life  and  is  thereby  held  steady  many 
times  in  the  face  of  severe  temptations  to  which,  otherwise, 
he  would  yield. 

The  church  may  be  only  the  husk  of  religion  but  the  husk 
is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  protection  and  Hie  of  the  in- 


References  1 69 

ward  grain.  Mistakes  it  has  indeed  made,  because  its  mem- 
bership is  only  human.  It  has  made  the  world  better,  too, 
because  its  inspiration  is  divine.  It  has  been  the  bulwark  of 
society  against  the  inroads  of  immoral  and  destructive  cults. 
Its  money  has  been  the  financial  framework  and  its  mem- 
bers the  flesh  and  sinews  of  the  philanthropic  and  charitable 
work  of  the  world.  In  its  membership  is  the  logical  place  for 
every  sincere  follower  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 


Conclusion 

We  have  finished  this  brief  survey  of  the  life  of  Jesus,  the 
Christ.  We  have  sought  only  a  minimum  of  belief  but  have 
endeavored  to  find  at  least  a  solid  basis  upon  which  each  can 
build  a  reasonable  faith  for  himself.  Perhaps,  the  views  of 
the  writer  will  change  as  time  goes  on,  for  "  we  reach  truth 
only  by  continual  adjustments  to  new  light."  Whatever  you 
believe  or  do  not  believe,  follow  Jesus  Christ. 


References 

1.  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.     E.  I.  Bosworth.    As- 

sociation Press. 

2.  The  Gospel  History  and  its  Transmission.     F.  C.  Burkitt. 

T.  &  T.  Clark.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 

3.  The  Historical  and   Religious  Value  of  the  Fourth   Gos- 

pel.    E.  F.  Scott.     The  Pilgrim   Press. 

4.  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.     H.  C.  King.     The  Macmillan  Co. 

5.  Everyman's    Religion.    George    Hodges.    The    Macmillan 

Co. 

6.  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus.     C.  F.   Kent.     Charles 

Scribner's  Sons. 

7.  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.     F.  G.  Peabody. 

The  Macmillan  Co. 

8.  What    is    Christianity?     A.     Harnack,     G.     P.     Putnam's 

Sons. 

9.  The  Character  of  Jesus.     H.  Bushnell.     Charles  Scribner's 

Sons. 


I70  Jesus  and  the  Young  Man  of   To-day 

10.  The  Deity  of  Jesus.     R.  E.  Speer.     F.  H.  Revell  Co. 

11.  Christ  and  the   Students.     J.   R.  Mott.     Record  of  Chris- 

tian  Work.     September,    1908. 

12.  The  Book  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.     G.  A.  Smith.     G.  H. 

Doran  Co. 

13.  The    Sermon   on   the   Mount.     B.   W.   Bacon.     The   Mac- 

millan  Co. 

14.  The  Teachings  of  Jesus.     H.  H.  Wendt.     Charles   Scrib- 

ner's  Sons. 

15.  Christian    Standards    in    Life.     Murray-Harris.     Associa- 

tion Press. 

16.  The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher.     L.  A.  Weigle.     G.  H.  Doran 

Co. 

17.  The  Assurance  of  Immortality.    H.  E.  Fosdick.    The  Mac- 

millan  Co. 

18.  Some    Christian    Convictions.     H.    S.    Coffin.     Yale    Uni- 

versity Press. 

19.  Problems    of    Religion.     Durant    Drake.     Houghton    Mif- 

flin Co. 

20.  Christian  Faith  for  Men  of  To-Day.     E.  A.  Cook.     Uni- 

versity of  Chicago  Press. 

21.  International  Critical  Commentary.     St.  Matthew.     W.  C. 

Allen.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 
-22.  The  Atlantic  Monthly.     February,   1918. 

23.  Carry  On.     Coningsby   Dawson.     John  Lane  Co. 

24.  Under   the   Highest   Leadership.    J.    D.    Adam,    Associa- 

tion Press. 

25.  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.     James  Hastings.     T.  &  T.  Clark. 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 

26.  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.     A.  M.  Fairbairn.     D.  Ap- 

pleton  &  Co. 

27.  Historical    Geography   of   the   Holy  Land.     G.   A.    Smith. 

G.  H.  Doran  Co. 

28.  Hours  of  Thought.     James  Martineau.     Longmans,  Green 

&  Co. 

29.  The  Religion  of  Christ  in  the  Twentieth  Century.     G.  P. 

Putnam's  Sons. 

THE   END 
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By  ROBERT  E.  SPEER  Preparing 

This  vohime  very  suitably  follows  Dr.  Speer's  The  Chris- 
tian Man,  the  Church,  and  the  War,  dealing  as  it  does  wit! 
the  present  responsibility  of  the  Church. 

THE  CHURCH  FACING  THE  FUTURE  Preparing 

By  WILLIAM  ADAMS  BROWN 

Dr.  Brown  discusses  four  big  questions :     First,  Where  the 

War  Found  the  Church ;   second,  What  the  Church  did   for 

the   War;   third,   What   the   War   did    for  the   Church;   and 

fourth.  Where  the  War  Leaves  the  Church. 

DEMOCRATIC  CHRISTIANITY;  SOME  PROBLEMS 
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By  FRANCIS  J.  McCONNELL 
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THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY  CRUSADE 

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THE  WAY  TO  LIFE  By  HENRY  CHURCHILL  KING 
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in  Dr.  King's  former  book  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.  Besides  re- 
writing them,  he  has  added  material  on  the  war  and  the 
teachings  of  Jesus. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  MAN,  THE  CHURCH  AND  THE 

WAR  By  ROBERT  E.  SPEER 

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He  deals  with  it  sanely  and  in  a  manner  that  will  be  consid- 
ered distinctly  helpful. 
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,  By  W.  H.  p.  FAUNCE 
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